The Mafia Boss and The Enforcer
by JKrlin
Summary: Another twin story, one where Tsuna has a violent and delinquent little brother, Ienobu. Despite the contrast to Tsuna's timidness and clumsiness, the Sawadas would do whatever it takes to protect their brother. But what's rowdy yet considerate Ienobu going to do when his brother is selected as the heir to the biggest Mafia family in the world? There is hell to pay. DISCONTINUED
1. Prologue

**(A/N) I am writing this due to unexpected inspiration and an urge to develop a, uhm, well developed** **original** **character.**

 **Bear in mind I have only a vague understanding of Japanese honorifics, and somewhat of the hitman reborn storyline itself as it's been almost a year since I read or reread a chapter. Nevertheless, I'm moving forward with this.**

 **X**

Ienobu Sawada is Tsuna's younger twin brother.

Tsuna loves his brother.

When they were too small to understand why at the time, their mother left them at a daycare. Tsuna stood uncomfortably in the middle of the room. All the other children were playing and running around him. Ienobu noticed his brother's displeasure and decided to drag him over to the oversized building blocks. However, Ienobu had to leave to go to the bathroom.

A few slightly larger kids walked up to the unsuspecting Tsuna. He yelped outright when one of them destroyed his tower. Tsuna tripped over the debris, and the bullies surrounded him. One began to shout at the fallen boy, but all Tsuna could remember was being frozen in place. His ankle, the right one, it was hurting so much more than all those other times he tripped over his own two feet. And was it really his fault that he did not know the building blocks belonged to these bullies?

The prepubescent tormentor grabbed Tsuna's shirt. The shy boy could do nothing else but close his eyes, shaking profusely and turning his head away from the bully's wet breath.

One second later, Tsuna felt the hands suspending him over the floor release. He fell on his bottom again, the outburst of pain prompting him to open his eyes.

Ienobu was there, standing over Tsuna's attacker. The bully was struggling underneath Ienobu's foot as his companions, visibly surprised with wide eyes, backed up a step or two. The younger twin, his face in an unreadable grimace, turned to his brother and offered his hand.

During subsequent yet rare daycare visits, the Sawada twins experienced few bullying incidents. They were either left alone or partook in brief conversations with the other kids.

Tsuna loves his brother.

One day, the daycare was closed, and all of the twins' usual babysitters were unavailable. The six-year-olds were told by their mother to remain in their backyard for the rest of the day. Tsuna readily followed their mother's orders. She seemed stressed about something for the past month, after all, and he was a good son that wanted to let her relax. Ienobu, on the other hand, walked alongside Tsuna with a frown.

Ienobu also seemed to be bothered by something when kaasan sent them outside. The tension in the Sawada household mostly flew over the oblivious Tsuna, despite the underlying cold spot he felt. Ienobu refused to explain his frown, and Tsuna chose not to dig in further.

Tsuna was halfway done with his sketch of his favorite Megaranger when Ienobu told him that he was going to use the bathroom inside the house. They both knew about the bucket kaasan had left in the corner of the yard, but Tsuna only nodded with half closed eyes. He loved his mother, but the bond with his brother, Tsuna realized, was greater than his love for their kaasan. If Ienobu wanted to find out what kaasan was hiding, then Tsuna would let him.

The yelling reached Tsuna's ears not too long after Ienobu went inside. Tsuna ran just in time to see one of kaasan's friends, the one always dressed in the nice suit, jumping down the staircase saying _very_ bad words. The man was nice since he always gave him and Ienobu fruity candy, but Ienobu at the moment was screeching as well, chasing the man with a broken tree branch. The Sawada twins liked to have pretend sword fights, and the younger Sawada was utilizing his training to the fullest.

Kaasan came downstairs as well, trying to hold back Ienobu. Tsuna started screaming, too, loudly asking what was happening. Kaasan's friend gave him a look, one that Tsuna couldn't discern. It was too quick, and Tsuna could hardly try to get a second glance as the man walked out the front door. Ienobu threw his stick, successfully acing a hit at the man's back.

Still, the loud bellows did not cease. When it was clear the man would not come back, Kaasan slammed the door shut and turned her unusually red face to Ienobu. They screeched at each other, spit flying and the noise hurting Tsuna's ears. The confused child had to cover them up with his hot hands. Kaasan was bellowing something about listening to your mother and being a good son while Ienobu was shouting about loyalty to family and… and _otosan_.

Another deafening howl joined the clamor. Tsuna demanded to know what was happening. Why was kaasan's friend here? Why did he leave? Why did Ienobu chase him out? Why is kaasan slappin –

Kaasan _slapped_ Ienobu, right on the cheek, the irritant noise resonating even through Tsuna's palms. Ienobu's feet slid on the wood floor, almost in slow motion in Tsuna's eyes. The younger twin went down, his arm smacking the timber. He blinked rapidly as he touched the pink skin hesitantly. His lips quivered, as if he suddenly lost all control over his ability to speak.

After what felt like an eternity, Tsuna could hear Kaasan walk away, the footsteps brisk and echoing in the silence. She might as well have been on the other side of the planet, however, as all Tsuna could comprehend was his brother's fallen form.

Like the good onii-san their classmates always said Tsuna should be, Tsuna wrapped his arms around his brother. Ienobu hugged back, burying his head and gravity-defying hair into Tsuna's shoulder. He mumbled things Tsuna failed to hear clearly, but that was of no matter. Tsuna could find out what exactly happened later. All that mattered now was taking care of his brother.

Tsuna loved his brother.

Over the next four years, Tsuna had to deal with the rising distance between his brother and his mother. During meals together, they never made eye contact or said more than ten words to each other. When the twins came home from school, Tsuna liked to hug kaasan while Ienobu rushed to their room upstairs. Whenever kaasan was called by the school or police for some act of disobedience Ienobu committed; a string of failed grades here or an apprehension for graffiti there; Tsuna had to watch his mother become another person. She became colder, expressionless, void of pride, annoyance, or even disappointment.

Separately, they acted fairly the same when around Tsuna, cordial and like a true family member. He took a very, very small comfort in that, even when a part of him thought he should be doing something more to fix the problem. It wasn't like the occasional bully and Tsuna's own natural clumsiness weren't taking up too much time out of his life, though.

On one of those days where Kaasan was out of the house, Tsuna reeled back at the two strangers sitting in his living room. He had just come home, escaping another intense chase from a hound, when a muscular shirtless boy with white hair greeted him, _extremely_.

It wasn't long until Tsuna was told that Ienobu, applying bandages to the other boy's nose and fingers, had encountered the two strangers apparently caught up in a street brawl amongst middle schoolers and elementary students. Ienobu, in worse condition with the Tsunayoshi trademark beaten and broken body, invited the newly introduced Ryohei and Kyoko to his house.

Realizing what injuries Ienobu, the damnable violent munchkin, had sustained and left untreated, Tsuna promptly retrieved Ienobu's secret stash of stolen medical supplies (even Tsuna didn't want to know the details. All he cared about was that they were useful at patching up both twins' injuries). Ryohei's younger sister, Kyoko, assisted Tsuna with his treatment of his brother.

"Onii-san is fine now," she said in a cute, sweet voice, "and he should have learned his _extreme_ lesson." Ryohei abruptly halted his shouting for a few moments. "Let me help. Think of it as my thank you to your brother, Tsunayoshi-san."

"Call him Tsuna-kun!" Ienobu commanded, seeing the obvious tinting in his twin's face. The glare failed to falter the smirk.

"Alright," Kyoko chuckled, causing Tsuna to refocus is efforts into wiping alcohol on Ienobu's abrasions, "Tsuna-kun it is, then!"

Sometimes, Tsuna hated Ienobu.

But he still loved his brother.

Evemtually, the bullying finally stopped in its frequent and infrequent occurrences. Maybe it had something to do with Ienobu building himself a reputation of being a violent delinquent.

Ienobu liked to wander the neighborhood. He ran into street gangs a lot, he claims, and decides to try and beat them all up to "test his capacity."

After some talks with him and Kyoko, Tsuna decided that he and Ienobu should join the boxing club. Kyoko knew just how dangerous attacking gang members were, and Tsuna believed all Ienobu was doing was finding an outlet to relieve his violent tendencies. And he did have them, no matter how hard he tried to hide them from his onii-san.

At least in the boxing club, Ienobu could probably learn better self control. And Tsuna finally summoned the courage to try to learn self defense and self control as well. Tsuna was naturally clumsy, and he didn't want to risk dropping his brother's unconscious on the way body back home, or to have to do it at all.

But he did, not long after Tsuna quit the boxing club, to Ryhoei's massive dissapointment.

Tsuna found Ienobu twitching in the middle of an intersection, face planted against the concrete. Hibari, _the_ Hibari, leader of the Namimori Disciplinary Committee, was standing over him. Sasagawa, somehow hanging upside down from the dense leaves and branches of a nearby tree, was, as always, screaming his head off.

The stare Hibari gave instantly made Tsuna freeze.

When a phone call whisked the _animal_ away, Tsuna immediately went to his brother. Sasagawa freed himself and EXTREMELY chased after Hibari.

At the start of junior high, Tsuna expressed his concern of the band around Ienobu's arm, and of the responsibilities that accompanied it. Of course, Tsuna promptly fell over his feet and into the base of a tree trunk. Ienobu laughed goodheartedly and pulled his twin up, waving off his concerns.

The year passed, and the twins got to meet two of Kyoko's friends: Hana Kurokawa and Takeshi Yamamoto.

The next school year was coming soon.

And throughout it all, Tsuna will always love his brother. That was a promise.

 **x**

 **(A/N) Recently, fellow writer _Mandalore the freedom_ informed me that another writer, _Freedom Guard_ , passed away in early August 5th. I am told his real name is Salvador R. Balleza, though I've never spoken with him. I do recall enjoying some of his lengthy Mass Effect, Justice League, and Fallout pieces. If you are familiar with him or not, perhaps look into them to see what writing potential he had and of what he left behind. It is a shame such a talented guy, in my opinion, had to go, but I ask of you to give him a moment of silence and acknowledgment.**


	2. Another Day in the Sawada Lifestyle

"Tsuna! Wake up, sweetie!"

The cheery voice caused Tsuna to instantaneously open his eyes. Due to the overbearing light, however, he had to shut them tight right afterward.

"Come on, Tsuna. Breakfast is ready! You'll need to eat so that you'll be strong enough to get through the school day. You know that, Tsu-kun."

When Tsuna was comfortable enough to raise his eyelids, he was able to catch his mother leave the bedroom and softly close the door. He shifted his head and saw the sun rising above the horizon through the window.

Tsuna yawned loudly, stretching his arms. As he tried to get out of bed, however, he fell onto his face, his nose crunching against the carpet floor. It may have been a common habit of Tsuna's, but that didn't make it any less painful or infuriating.

A loud, obnoxious snore prompted Tsuna to look up at its source.

Ienobu was lying in his own bed, across from Tsuna. His body was spread across the fabrics, his shirt dragged up to expose his belly. He snored blissfully, noisily breathing in and out without a care in the world.

Of course kaasan wouldn't even try to awaken Ienobu.

"Oi," Tsuna poked his brother's side, "get up, Ienobu."

The elder Sawada hit the floor again, this time because Ienobu had involuntarily kicked out his leg before turning to his side. Tsuna's eye twitched.

Just another day in the Sawada household.

Thankfully, it wasn't long before Ienobu woke up, soon after Tsuna poured a glass of cold water over his face. It wasn't something that Tsuna would normally do, but everyone's patience runs out at some point.

Tsuna made sure he jumped four feet back to avoid the whirlwind of shoving limbs. Ienobu rose into a sitting position, panting and spurting out the water that got into his mouth. He snapped his gaze to his brother.

"Aniki," Ienobu shrieked, "why'd you do that?! You know I need my beauty sleep!"

"You get enough sleep as it is, though," Tsuna complained. "Come on, you need to eat breakfast."

"Let me sleep Tsuna." Ienobu tried to lie back down again, but Tsuna grabbed his arm, pulling him off the bed.

"No, you'll just complain about being hungry later and nag Kyoko for her lunch."

Ienobu broke away from Tsuna's grip. "Fine, fine. Let me take a shower. Go eat and save me something good." Before Tsuna could say anything, Ienobu was already on the other side of the door.

Tsuna sighed. What else was there he could do?

Once Tsuna was nearly done eating his morning meal downstairs, his mother approached him with her per-usual smile.

"Oh Tsu-kun," she began pleasantly, "do you want to tell me about this piece of paper I found hidden under your bed?" She held the aforementioned piece in front of Tsuna.

Instantly, Tsuna's tired and relaxed demeanor shifted into a tense, nervous state. His eyes were now wide open. Despite the shivers his body was emitting, he tried to reach out and snatch away the paper.

"It's n-nothing!" Tsuna shrieked, but she held the paper back.

"Now, now Tsuna," her mother chided with a deceptive smile, "I know that you aren't a prodigy or the best at everything, but I expect you to try harder than this." She tapped on the red markings on the paper for emphasis.

"But, but I do try," Tsuna meekly stuttered, giving up on trying to retrieve his failed test. His hands fiddled, unsure what to do with them.

Nana Sawada ignored the offhand comment, flipping the sheet of paper to hover helplessly into her son's hands. She let a fist press onto her hip. "You can live your entire life going nowhere like you are now, or live it happily and striving to be successful at something."

Nana looked at how Tsuna was staring at his crumpled paper, so… fragile.

"I just want you to live life with a smile on your face," she said more somberly, "to say, 'It's great to be alive,' each morning. Is that so hard for you to do?"

She saw Tsuna's lips quiver as he continued to stare down to his feet. As his mother, Nana could fairly easily recognize his telltale expressions and their hidden meanings. This look he gave was a familiar one, the one she often saw when –

"Oi, aniki!"

Almost faster than Nana could comprehend, Tsuna disappeared from her view, the rapid footsteps trailing into the living room. As she turned to watch the front door be slammed closed, she noted how the lunch she packed was missing from the table, along with the half-full bag of bread loaves.

Undeterred, Nana went on to clean up the dining table before readying herself for her day job at the café, doing it all with a smile on her face.

Her sons were blissfully unaware of their mother's wandering thoughts, too imbued in their own conversation and a good deal away from earshot of the Sawada homestead.

Tsuna was in the basic white collared shirt, the ends of his sleeves folded under his wrists. A black tie and vest overlay his torso. He wore black slacks and white shoes. His hands gripped on the strap of his book bag. The breeze fluttered through his hair, the effects magnified as the brunette tried to keep up with his brother's vigorous gait.

Ienobu was dressed in almost the exact same attire as Tsuna. However, he left his sleeves unfolded, albeit wrinkled. The thin blazer tied around his waist, however, was much smoother in comparison. It wavered almost as much his hair. The brown mane was identical to his older twin's, give or take a few centimeters of height. His own book bag lacked a strap, so he simply carried it under his left arm. That arm also bore a particular red and golden band wrapped around it.

"Wait up, Ienobu!" Tsuna called after his brother.

They soon eased into a calmer pace, Ienobu feeding on pieces of bread from the bag under his other arm. He offered one to Tsuna. "Want one?"

Letting out a deep breath, Tsuna shook his head.

Ienobu shrugged and threw the bag over his head. The plastic and its contents bounced off the low wall of a neighbor's backyard and made a mess on the ground.

"Otouto, what are you doing?" Tsuna questioned, whipping his head around. He would have dragged his brother back with him to clean up the litter if not for _that dog_ jumping over the wall and nibbling the bread.

"I was done with it," Ienobu replied, continuing to walk forward and neglecting to face his brother.

"Don't be so careless," Tsuna once more sighed and jogged forward again. "And slow down!"

"You don't want to be late, do you, aniki?"

"Why are you in such a rush?"

Ienobu suddenly tapped his ankles together, swerving his body to face Tsuna. However, he kept on moving, maintaining his faster pace while hopping his feet backwards. He eyed his brother with a patronizing smirk.

"I've got a good feeling today, Tsuna!" The ensuing clap had to have awoken the neighbors. "Don't you have those mornings when you get out of bed and feel like conquering the world?"

"N-No, but I know you do."

"Exactly!"

Another tap of ankles and a 180 degree spin later, Ienobu slowed his pace and began to march steadily, one foot after the other. Tsuna's back sagged alongside his brother's swagger.

"Hey, let's cut class after P.E.!" Ienobu suddenly suggested as they rounded a corner.

"What?" Tsuna flinched. "Why –"

The question could never be finished as Ienobu abruptly fell forward and onto his face, much like how Tsuna often plunged down. This descent, however, was enacted by an outstretched foot exposing itself on the other side of the corner.

"Planning to skip class again, Ienobu?" the foot's owner said in a haughty and reproachful tone. She revealed herself, clad in a black skirt and a buttoned up khaki collared coat with a shirt just like the Sawadas' underneath. Complimenting her was the Namimori Middle School insignia planted on the upper left of her coat, a scarlet bowtie secured around her neck, and long, wavy dark hair.

"Hana-chan," whined the slightly shorter girl accompanying Hana, attired in the same uniform but styled her hair in a shorter brush if golden brown. "You shouldn't trip your friends."

"You know how he gets, Kyoko." Hana folded her arms atop each other, Ienobu doing a handstand before flipping to his feet. "He shouldn't be dragging his brother out to get in trouble with his own antics."

"Nonsense!" Ienobu objected. "If anything, Tsuna would be the person to testify my innocence if the police think I'm trespassing again!"

Kyoko nodded and supported Ienobu's declaration. A simultaneous sigh escaped both Hana and Tsuna, one drained and the other unamused.

"I'm so sorry that you have this buffoon as a twin brother, Tsuna," Hana remarked as the four resumed their promenade.

Tsuna shrugged absentmindedly. "You can't choose your family."

The rest of the walk consisted of the Tsuna and Hana trying to appreciate a quiet morning sunrise with the ardent conversation taking place between Ienobu and Kyoko, mostly chatting about Ryohei's birthday that had passed.

"Tsuna," Hana muttered to the brunette as they walked a few paced from behind their more energetic counterparts, "did you confess to Kyoko-chan yet?"

No response told more than Tsuna could have ever said with words.

"Really, Tsuna," Hana said, unimpressed. She whipped her hair around her shoulder, looking at her only sane male friend, albeit the most cowardly as well. "Even she knows you like her, but she thinks you only look at her the same way your idiot brother does sometimes. Why don't you say something?"

The boy continued to pointedly ignore her. She supposed stupidity and rudeness ran in the family, if she accounted the brief encounters she had with the Sawada matriarch.

"You realize at this rate, Mochida is going to ask Kyoko out first."

Tsuna's upper body recoiled back, his stare snapping to Hana's disappointed expression.

"A relationship between them will never go anywhere," she reassured Tsuna, "but keep putting this off and my money's on Ienobu stealing her heart."

The look of sheer and pure horror on his face brought about such… satisfaction from within Hana.

"Just look at them."

Kyoko and Ienobu each kept one eye on the road and the other eye at each other. Ienobu constantly made erratic hand motions. Kyoko never seemed to stop talking, head hung high and the vibrancy illuminating around her.

The simple mindset of Tsuna's would have immediately assumed the pair was a romantic couple.

"Just trying to lend a helping hand," Kurokawa added. "You should get at least one thing straight in your life, seeing how your grades aren't doing too well."

Tsuna replied with a weary groan.

X

"Tsuna! At one o'clock!"

The warning came a second too late, or perhaps young Tsunayoshi was simply incapable of dodging the incoming ball. Either way, a round red mark was painted over his left cheek, and he faintly heard the coach's call of game over. Tsuna's team lost the dodgeball match.

His teammates' silent comments were broadcasted on every radio channel known to man.

"Lost again, thanks to Dame Tsuna."

"Just our luck Mr. No-Good was placed on our team."

"Always dragging the rest of us down…"

And there were rebuttals to these complaints.

"Don't be so hard on him."

"Just keep Tsuna at the back next time, so he'll be less likely to get hit."

"Sucks at sports, but he ain't a half bad guy, y'know."

Of course, there was the one key statement that ceased all further critique of Tsuna's performance.

"Don't let Ienobu hear you."

Tsuna didn't miss smug expression on his brother's face, his lips curved up at one end.

The two Sawadas were left alone to clean up the gymnasium at the end of class, mops and buckets of water in hand.

"Where's Takeshi?" Ienobu asked Tsuna. "He could lend us a hand! He owes me a favor, anyway."

Tsuna shook his head at his younger sibling. "No, he has baseball practice. We can clean this place ourselves."

"Really?" The sarcasm was apparent in Ienobu's voice. "Because I'm pretty sure that the people who are supposed to clean up the gym is _everyone on the losing team!_ " He shouted into the hallway, their classmates hurrying off. "Yeah, run you little bastards! Just wait till we play street hockey. See who gets their asses handed to them then, huh!"

"Otouto, please."

Tsuna tried to pull him away from the door, but someone unexpectedly ran up to them from the opposite end of the hallway. It was a member of the Namimori Disciplinary Committee, a boy that looked like he should have been a senior in high school with a pompadour haircut and the Committee's armband. Parts of his jacket were torn, and he had a black eye.

"Ienobu-san!" the random prefect exclaimed, nearly slipping on the shiny floor of the gym. "We need your help!"

Ienobu just raised an eyebrow and waited for his nameless coworker to continue.

"I-It's the gang from out of town," he stuttered. "We underestimated their strength. We're outnumbered, and Kusakabe-senpai sent me to get you."

"…Weapons?"

"No gu-guns, all they have are some kendo sticks and switchblades."

Ienobu nodded, twirling the broom in his hand before letting it rest on his shoulder. He turned to Tsuna.

The elder brother felt like he should have said something, do something more than just gaze at Ienobu with pleading eyes, but that was all he did, and Ienobu could only give an apologetic look in response.

"I'll be back before sundown," Ienobu promised with a smile. It was only partly forced, his more feral side exposing itself. He always got excited when he had a job for the Disciplinary Committee. "Don't worry. Those punks will be sorry for cutting into our brotherly bonding."

Then he walked out the door.

It was only a few hours later when Tsuna, back at home having removed his vest and reading his recent manga issue, answered the door bell to Tetsuya Kusakabe.

Kusakabe gave the impression that he was a hulk of a man, dressed similarly to the average prefect but evidently of greater stature and importance. Tsuna rarely interacted with the man, and he did look far older than the average student in Namimori Middle. Nevertheless, Tsuna was guaranteed that he was a person that could be relied on to take care of his brother.

And Tsuna was glad that Kusakabe managed to uphold that promise, as here he was, carrying an unconscious Ienobu on his backside.

"Nothing life threatening," Kusakabe quickly relieved Tsuna as he moved to lay Ienobu on the couch. "We already took care of the injuries he did sustain. Just make sure he doesn't move too much until tomorrow morning."

Ienobu didn't look too worse for wear. His clothes were no more wrinkled than usual, only dirtied up a bit. His jacket was no longer folded around his waist and instead veiled over his body like a blanket. A white bandage was placed directly under his closed eye, and another went behind his right ear to his chin.

"Thank you for bringing him home, Kusakabe-senpai," Tsuna said, pulling up a stool to sit upon and pressing his hand against Ienobu's forehead.

"No problem, Tsunayoshi-san." The second-in-command of the Disciplinary Committee dusted off his hands together. He gave a curt nod to the brothers, though Tsuna did not acknowledge it. "Ienobu will be taking a two, possibly three week leave from his duties in the Committee, starting tomorrow, so please ensure that he does not strain his body."

"Of course." Tsuna retracted his hand and brushed it with his other. He noted that Kusakabe exited the house and kaasan entered the living room, holding some sort of pamphlet, but all Tsuna was focused on was his twin brother.

"Oh Tsu-kun!"

What was Tsuna doing with his life?

"I thought about our talk this morning."

He had very few friends, a mother who played favorites, an absent father, and a brother who would get himself killed one day.

"And I think you need some motivation to get you to smile more often, starting with your grades."

Nana was right. No life goal to strive for and no notable skills to get Tsuna a good job. What kind of job did he even want?

"So, I called for you to get…"

Tsuna needed _something_ , something _more_. Right now, he's just another no-good scrawny brat with no hopes or dreams. Can he keep living like this? For the rest of his life?

"… a home tutor!"

Tsuna looked up.

"Ciaossu!"

A bipedal baby in a black suit and top hat with curly black side burns jumped atop Ienobu's comatose head.

"… Who are you?" Tsuna asked, rubbing the back of his head with dazed eyes.

"I'm Reborn, the home tutor," the child answered.

That had to be a lie, and yet Tsuna had a hunch this baby was here for a legitimate purpose.

The next thing Tsuna could remember was struggling to get to his knees in his room. He held his gut to suppress the pain and stared at the "home tutor," Reborn, putting together a miniature sniper rifle out of parts from a briefcase. Where did that briefcase come from?

How was this toddler so strong?

"My real job is to make you a Mafia Boss."

"Wh-What?!"

Reborn had a god-awful smiling leer. "I was assigned by the Vongola Family's Ninth Generation Boss to come to Japan and raise you to become the Vongola Decimo. Vongola Nono is getting old and plans to pass on leadership to the Tenth Generation."

"Isn't the mafia Italian?" Tsuna pointed out, recalling the period when Ienobu was obsessed with _The Godfather_.

"The Vongola Family's first Boss retired early and crossed over to Japan," Reborn explained. "That is your great-great-great-grandfather, so you are part of the Vongola bloodline and a legitimate Boss candidate."

"B-But I've never even hear about this, this Vongola!" Tsuna objected. "Aren't there other candidates?"

The photographs of Nono's sons Reborn presented answered plenty. Tsuna sucked in a deep breath, holding it in.

"What, what about my father?"

The smile on Reborn's face flickered to a flat line, only for a second, or Tsuna was just seeing things. "Iemitsu Sawada is the current leader of CEDEF, an offshoot organization related to the Vongola Famiglia. Within this position, he is no longer an eligible candidate for the tenth boss."

"Then why can't he just quit CEDEF or whatever?"

Two diminutive shoulders almost seemed to shrug. "You were chosen, and my orders from the Ninth are to train you to become a good Boss."

"And what about me?"

Tsuna involuntarily jumped, backing up against his bed. He and Reborn turned to Ienobu, who was leaning against the door frame with a scowl. His jacket was on the floor, having been dropped a few minutes ago.

Reborn's smile and overall assertive posture returned with its consistency as he put away his rifle. "As the elder twin, Dame Tsuna will be trained as the heir. You, Ienobu, will receive some training from me, as you are still a member of the Vongola. We can always use more lieutenants in the field, perhaps even place you in other branches of the Famiglia."

Tsuna bounded up to his feet. "No!" he screamed at the baby assassin. "We aren't mafia, gangsters, or anything like that! We're just regular middle school students, and that's it!" His twin has enough trouble with the law as it is.

Ienobu took a step into the bedroom. "Tsuna –"

Reborn swiftly grasped Ienobu's ankle and Tsuna's wrist. He threw the twins to the end of the room, their bodies hitting the wall just below the window. Tsuna's eyesight became temporarily blurry while Ienobu's head spun from where he sat on his brother's lap.

The child who obviously was not a child turned to leave, mentioning something about being hungry and of his extended residence in the house for the foreseeable future.

"Are you alright, otouto?"

An arm slapped itself at Tsuna's arm. " 'm fine," he mumbled, "but what the hell kind of toddler was that?"

"I," Tsuna gulped, "I don't think that was a regular baby."

"No shit." Ienobu rolled off Tsuna, sitting with his legs crossed. "Does Mama Sawada know about this?"

"She never said anything," Tsuna thought on kaasan's swift acceptance of Reborn's claim of being a home tutor from earlier and ignored the title Ienobu liked to use. "She really believed he was a tutor."

"Well then." Ienobu yawned, scratching his head. "It sure is odd she or otosan never told us that we had Italian blood," he said flatly, stifled, "or that otosan wasn't really a construction worker."

"Maybe they were protecting us?" guessed Tsuna. He just felt so lost, more so than usual. He couldn't tell how exactly Ienobu was feeling. He looked, disturbed, and had his brows lowered with some locks of hair wavering over his eyes.

Ienobu looked outside. Twilight was settling in. "You should go ask our mother. I'm going to head out, need to think."

Setting aside the absolute shock of their mafia heritage, Tsuna prevented Ienobu from leaving, clutching his shoulders. "Stop! Kusakabe-senpai said you needed to rest your body!"

"But aniki," Ienobu whined. He forced himself free to only be knocked into his bed. He groaned into his blanket, dragging a hand through his hair.

"As the brother of a future Mafia Boss, you should listen to his advice," Reborn lectured, having just kicked the side of Ienobu's head. "And you, Dame Tsuna, Nana is calling for you to eat dinner. You should eat, and bring something for Ienobu for later."

As Ienobu tried to make himself comfortable, he said, "Don't call Tsuna that." He was ignored, Reborn tossing Tsuna toward the door.

"Wait a second!" Tsuna screeched, but Ienobu signaled to him with two fingers.

"Shush Tsuna." He met Reborn's deceptively innocent gaze.

"Yes, Ienobu?" the home tutor prompted.

Ienobu grimaced slightly, his eyes narrowing before he voiced his question. "What makes our relation to the first Vongola Boss so special? Why not just get one of your top lieutenants or mafia members to take over, people who are already loyal to the Vongola Nono? Surely they would be better qualified then training two middle-schoolers."

All Reborn gave was a knowing smile. "You'll find out, eventually, if you prove to be good students."

With that, Reborn hopped onto Tsuna's back, pushing him through the door. Ienobu gave a reassuring wave and grin, quietly insisting that he'd be fine.

Once the room was vacant except for Ienobu, he reached into his cell phone. First, he sent a quick text to Kusakabe-senpai, asking for information on this "Vongola Famiglia." Then he went to dial the number of a certain baseball player.

"Takeshi! You home? Oh, I'm fine, and Tsuna's doing alright. Uh, still hasn't confessed yet, last I heard. Anyway, can I talk to your dad?"


	3. Requests

"Ienobu, I can see you limping. Let me help."

"I'm fine, Tsuna! Sheesh, calm down."

"Baka Ienobu, you should listen more to your future Boss. Even if he is No-Good –"

Reborn hopped off the low wall, Ienobu's soda can bouncing and entering the neighbor's yard.

"I don't have to take your shit, Mr. 'Hitman,'" Ienobu spat. Of course, Reborn could not at all allow such intolerance from his students, so he flew through the air to kick Ienobu's backside. The boy kissed the cool concrete floor, groaning as he tried to slap the baby off him. All that effort was halted when his arm was uncomfortably pulled on and restrained.

"I am the number one hitman in the world," Reborn bowed with his snobbish smile. "You'd do best to remember that."

Tsuna sucked in a deep dose of fresh morning air, quite unsure if shoving Reborn off would have any percentage of success.

"It wouldn't."

… Perhaps that supposed psychic boxer Ryohei accused of cheating was actually guilty.

"I can sense your thoughts just from the expression on your face," the tutor continued.

 _He's not even looking at me!_ Tsuna shivered, eyeing the baby distraughtly. _Is it_ _that chameleon thing?_

The tiny animal in question was staring at Tsuna with its gigantic eyes.

Ienobu said something muffled, his face still buried under his hair and against the ground, and Tsuna forced himself not to freak out.

"Oh, Tsuna?" suddenly asked a cute voice.

Tsuna turned in shock. Kyoko came up from behind them, smiles and all fluctuating into confusion at the scene before her. Tsuna could only stutter an incoherent response.

Ienobu's stifled voice rang again, his limbs dropping to the ground as Reborn hopped off him. The baby gave a blank look to Kyoko, just as she gave him.

"Kyaaaaa!" Kyoko screeched with delight to the child, kneeling down to admire his nifty little suit. "How cute!"

"Ciaossu!"

How could anyone think that this brat was cute? Sure, it was Kyoko-chan, but… but… Tsuna mentally slapped himself… likely to do so physically later… but still!

"Who are you?" Kyoko asked, a hand ready to ruffle the hitman's sideburns. Before Tsuna could stop her, Ienobu beat him to the punch.

"His name's Reborn," Ienobu answered, rolling onto his back to stare on bitterly, rubbing a hand on his sore arm. Kyoko retracted her hand, gazing at him. "He's a family friend that's staying with us for a while. Parents off on vacation or something."

Thankfully. Kyoko accepted the answer. "I didn't think someone his age would be able to take you down so easily, Ienobu-kun."

Kyoko blinked. Tsuna watched his brother open his mouth. Reborn kicked his chin. Ienobu refused to fall back, moving his hand to his injured lower face. Kyoko opened her eyes.

"I'm in the mafia," Reborn repeated. "I am perfectly capable of overpowering simple school prefects like Baka Ienobu."

"How cool!" Kyoko clasped her hands together. "And you sound so smart for your age!"

"Where's Hana-san?" Tsuna cut in, desperately wanting to get out of this situation.

"Oh, she had to get to Namimori early for a school project." The Sasagawa stood up. "I promised her that I'd get up early to help out. I should get going."

She teasingly ruffled Ienobu's fluffy hair. He automatically raised a finger in an obscene gesture, which was immediately slapped away.

"Be nice to little Reborn," she ordered pointedly. Then Kyoko flashed her smile to Tsuna.

There was no way he could hide his flush. Kyoko was always just so alluring and supportive, no matter the situation.

"Stay safe, Tsuna-kun."

With that, she went on her way.

Ienobu kicked his brother's lower leg. "Aniki, stop staring."

"You have a crush on that girl," Reborn innocently asked, "don't you Tsuna?"

The elder brother's eyes fidgeted as he looked at the baby. "Is that any of your business?!" One painful twist of an arm later, Tsuna was sitting on his bottom alongside Ienobu.

"If I could see your blush, aniki, Kyoko-chan sure as hell did."

"Sh-Shut up, Ienobu!"

"Why haven't you confessed to her?" Reborn questioned.

Instantly, Tsuna ceased to speak or make eye contact with anyone.

That reaction seemed to be what Reborn was waiting for. Though they couldn't explain how or why, the twins felt as if the tutor's demeanor changed, as if he finally found something he wanted and wanted to use it.

"It's finally time," he announced.

A handgun appeared in his hand.

"Die."

Boom. Boom, went the shot, and Tsuna fell back.

X

His brother and mother were fighting again.

Not fist-fighting, of course. Thank God. Ienobu never raised his fists against kaasan, and kaasan never raised her hands against her son, again.

On all those dramas Tsuna sometimes saw kaasan watch, it was usually the husband and wife fighting, or the father and son. Why did it have to be Tsuna's family to break the trend? Why his?

At least sitting outside the house, on the other side of the front gate, the shouts could be heard a lot less than in his room.

"Oh, Tsuna?"

Looking up from the colorless floor, Tsuna saw Kyoko and her concerned face. She was frowning, shifting her eyes slowly from the house and to him.

She sat with him, wordlessly, at first. Tsuna didn't keep track for how long they sat, letting the sun cast a shielding shadow over them. When the shadows reached well down the street, then Tsuna realized it had to have been hours since Kyoko joined him.

"It'll get dark soon." Tsuna noted quietly. "You should go home."

"So should you," she answered back with an equal amount of enthusiasm.

The shouts got louder again, only a little. Tsuna was able to tell the levels of intensity of the argument from the volume. They were probably going on about how Ienobu "brings Tsuna down" or something along those lines.

"Onii-san and I don't argue," Kyoko continued, neither looking at each other, "not as harshly as your mom and Ienobu."

As they shouldn't. Siblings should not be enemies.

"When onii-san's brawls started getting out of hand, our parents called in a friend, Uncle Kaz, to talk with him. Uncle Kaz is a retired war veteran. He's missing a foot and an arm, and he was supposed to make sure onii-san kept his fights in the boxing ring only."

Kyoko stretched her legs, scratching an ankle as she did so.

"Uncle Kaz was able to beat onii-san in an official ring enough times to earn his respect. Ryohei followed him everywhere he went for weeks after. He just wanted to be trained to be a 'swift, respectable fighter like Master Kaz, to the extreme!'"

The girl chuckled, the boy letting himself grin.

"None of us noticed it," Kyoko's tone lowering, "but dad was getting jealous of Uncle Kaz. Dad expected him to stay for only two weeks. Then it became two months. During all that time, onii-san pretty much completely ignored dad, always too focused on Uncle Kaz.

"They had a fight, when mom took onii-san on a grocery run. I was sick, in my bedroom, but I guess they forgot I was up there when dad and Uncle Kaz started throwing punches."

Punches?

"I came downstairs, and everything was a mess. The couch overturned, broken glass on the floor, and dad had Kaz pinned against the wall. When dad saw me, Kaz punched again. Kaz knocked him out with his walking cane."

"… Is that why we've never heard of Uncle Kaz?"

Kyoko nodded. "Ryohei-onii-san was told that he had to leave for business and that there was an accident in the house, but dad made it clear to me and mom that Kaz was no longer welcome in our household. Our parents had arguments after, a lot of them. They timed them whenever my brother and I weren't nearby. That… didn't always work."

Tsuna never heard Kyoko speak so despondently. He didn't know she needed a reason to stay so bright all the time, or even if her story was a reason at all, and he was too afraid to ask. Tsuna's heard of worst childhoods, but this was Kyoko Sasagawa!

"I don't know how to get them to stop," she said. "I talk with Hana a lot about it, though. She's a good friend. She helps."

Kyoko inched closer to Tsuna, and she gave him a reassuring look, eyes staring intently into his.

"Even if you don't know how to help your nii-san and kaasan, we'll be here to help you."

The shouts didn't mean anything now, at least for a few moments.

X

"Did you really need to ask, Tsu-kun?"

Ienobu heard Kyoko-chan respond to Tsuna's question. She sounded relieved. Once he was blessed with sweet illumination of sunlight, he could see Kyoko hugging a Tsunayoshi clad only in orange boxers. Boy, did he look silly.

"Do you believe me now, Baka Ienobu?" That bastard of a baby undid the rope on his hands and legs.

"Yeah, yeah, Dying Will and resurrection." Ienobu rubbed his wrists, taking a knee on the rooftop. He watched Kyoko drag Tsuna out of the public eye. "What the hell kind of mafia family is the Vongola anyway?"

His cheek kissed the floor. Again. "One that you should speak of with respect."

Not wanting to add onto the injuries that he already suffered earlier, Ienobu sat silently and looked at the baby.

"So, when do I get my dose of Dying Will?"

"Soon. I need to get a better feel of your personality first. I know that Dame Tsuna has an amazing loser complex. I don't know quite enough about you."

Gotta give the hitman points for honesty.

"I'm more curious about the phone call you gave last night to Takeshi Yamamoto, concerning his father, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto."

Ah, crap.

"I'm guessing you know all about him," Ienobu challenged.

"Of course." Reborn drew his gun. He fiddled with its parts, the magazine and whatnot. "I am well aware of his past as a swordsman. While I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him, know that he is hardly a match for me if your plan is to use him for protection."

Ienobu held his peace, glowering. The gun clicked, locked and loaded.

"You and your brother cannot and will not be able to avoid the Vongola. Regardless of your feelings, it's in your blood to be a part of this family."

"What if wasn't my blood?" Ienobu asked. "What if Tsuna and I were just regular kids?"

"You aren't, but even if you were, I can still see potential in both of you." Reborn regarded Ienobu with a pensive look. "Don't look at this as a punishment. As a family, especially with the Vongola, you will be strong. You and your brother, under my tutelage, will be strong enough to protect each other and yourselves."

The baby's words sounded sincere, yet Ienobu still couldn't get over it. Why the hell didn't they know about this whole mafia business? What kind of danger could they be in? Reborn was obviously a force to be reckoned with. If a guy like him exists, what else is out there?

Reborn hopped onto Ienobu's shoulder. "Let's go. You've got school."

Reluctantly, Ienobu obeyed.

He intentionally avoided everyone at school. Besides, everyone was too busy gossiping about Tsuna's confession, and the newly settled couple was pretty preoccupied saying sweet nothings to each other. His pals on the Disciplinary Committee left him alone, too, either healing from the fight yesterday are sticking with their patrols.

Ienobu didn't give a second glance when Tsuna was dragged to some kendo match with Mochida. Reborn said he'd be watching the fight, so Ienobu took that as permission to go off on his own and visit Yamamoto-sama when school ended.

Looked like TakeSushi was open. Upon Ienobu's entrance, however, no customers were present.

Yamamoto was at a table, reading a book. He looked up with a fatherly smile, waving kindly.

"Ienobu! Word on the block is that Tsuna and Kyoko are finally together."

The brunette smiled back. He had to. He took a seat across from the old man.

"When I went out for a morning run, I also saw that tutor of yours you mentioned, with the suit and sideburns."

Takeshi's dad was the wisest man Ienobu had ever met in his short life, and that was why Ienobu said, "I want you to train me."

This time, Yamamoto didn't sigh like he usually did. He didn't brush off the request, or abruptly change the subject. The esteemed chef calmly set his book down and folded his arms. His smile waned.

"You know the basics of the sword," Yamamoto said. "You can defend yourself."

"I need more," the child insisted. "And I'm pretty sure you know more about organized crime then you let on."

"Perhaps, but you know teaching you would go against what's right."

"Do you know what's right?" Ienobu didn't want to raise his voice. He couldn't stop himself. "The definition of 'what's right' isn't the same for everyone. You told me that, told Takeshi that. I don't think the mafia have the same idea of what 'right' is as either of us."

Yamamoto leaned in a touch. "I can help you however I can, but you are young. Barely gone through puberty. My master told me to wait until I was sixteen before going through his training."

"You said you weren't ready until then," Ienobu leveled with Yamamoto's stare. "I'm ready. Don't think so? Test me."

Ienobu asked for this. He couldn't back down. Not now. He had to stay focused, attentive. The boy kept his eyes on Yamamoto as the man went up to put up the "closed" sign at the door.

Yamamoto, his back facing Ienobu, turned around to throw a dart, one that belong to the set Tsuna had gotten for Takeshi's twelfth birthday. Ienobu had to veer off to his right, scrabbling on the floor and behind table for cover. A few more darts were thrown his way.

He had to have planned this, Ienobu realized as he hurled a chair at Yamamoto. The swordsman knew what Ienobu had wanted and prepared accordingly. The darts wouldn't last forever, though. So, Ienobu dashed for a certain pair of ornaments set up on the wall.

It was a pair of dao swords. Yamamoto had special sheathes that locked the swords in place. A special key was needed to unlock them. The sheathes on the wall right now were not the special ones.

Ienobu drew the dual blades, curved and feeling as light-weighted as ever. His hands clutched the black grips. He blocked the imitation sword just in time. However, the wooden blade managed to bonk the front of Ienobu's forehead.

"Faster."

A kick jostled Yamamoto back. He retaliated with string of slashes, pushing his opponent along the wall until Ienobu rolled between his legs. He kicked again, at the old man's hip, only to hit the sword. Ienobu was not discouraged and flung his knives against the longer blade's hilt. With another kick, he tried to disarm Yamamoto.

It didn't work, of course. Yamamoto-sama slid the wood along the dao. He disarmed Ienobu, one of the swords being thrown to pierce the wall. Ienobu held his grasp on the other, using it to carve upward. A cut went up Yamamoto's shirt and the white band around his forehead. Ienobu didn't penetrate any skin, but Yamamoto was startled long enough for Ienobu to swing a quick jab with his fist.

The second punch was blocked. Ienobu couldn't thrust his feet anymore as his shins were hit. Yamamoto picked up Ienobu and dropped him onto a table. The wind was knocked out of him, nearly dropping his sword. The kendo stick pressed itself against Ienobu's throat. It was long enough to also restrain Ienobu's arm, now unable to swing his sword.

"What would you do with the dao?" Yamamoto-sama asked with difficulty, Ienobu trying to break free. "You've nearly killed during your time with the Committee."

"Nearly," Ienobu breathed out, still struggling, "only nearly. I don't kill. Like you said, I'm young, and I have to defend myself."

"Against wannabe gangsters and bullies, not –"

Ienobu grabbed Yamamoto's shirt, pulling it and his face closer to Ienobu's. "You saw Tsuna get shot, didn't you? It's only a matter of time till someone with a real gun and a real bullet comes along."

Yamamoto frowned. He lifted his wooden blade ever so slightly. Ienobu pulled him closer. "I don't trust Reborn. I don't know him, but I know you. I need your help, Yamamoto-sama. You can show me how to get me and Tsuna out of this whole Vongola cra – situation, alive."

A pause followed, a tense pause. Ienobu stared onward, defiant to the end.

Tsuyoshi just knew that his wife was going to haunt him for this.

He retracted his kendo stick. He clasped his hand with Ienobu, pulling him up. The boy, hardly younger than Takeshi, was still panting. Tsuyoshi patted his back, swiping the dao blade away.

"I'm not as well-versed with the dao swords as I am with the Shigure Soen Ryu, and you _will_ _not_ use what I teach you for petty reasons. Understood?"

Ienobu Sawada recomposed himself, cracking his neck and grappling Tsuyoshi's arm. "Hai, Yamamoto-sensei."

"Just stick with sama." Tsuyoshi patted Ienobu's shoulder, grinning. "For training lessons, just come to me if you have time afterschool, every other day, only when Takeshi has baseball practice."

"That's a start."

The front doors opened, and the pair saw Takeshi enter. He stopped as he saw the scattered darts and weapons, but he smiled anyway.

"Did Ienobu cuss again, dad?"

They all shared a meal together, Takeshi relaying what he saw of Tsuna's and Mochida's kendo match. Ienobu fell off his chair, laughing at how his brother won the match.

Someone snapped a picture of Kyoko kissing Tsuna. Ienobu needed to give the photographer a handshake.


	4. Meet the Family

"Sawada!"

Ienobu jumped back in his seat, a newspaper slamming against his desk and missing his head by centimeters.

The class collectively sighed, quite used to Ienobu's antics. Tsuna, sitting a few desks over in front of Ienobu, was burying his head into his arms. A certain pair of young schoolgirls observed the scene with varying degrees of amusement, one chuckling quietly and the other almost half-asleep herself.

It took Ienobu a few seconds to realize that the teacher was still admonishing him with his loud, irate voice.

"I don't care if you are part of the Namimori Disciplinary Committee," spat Nezu, his eyes hidden under the glare of his glasses. "You will stay awake during class or you will join Yamamoto in detention."

Another slap of a dense roll of paper against a desk sounded off, this time awakening the second student in question.

"Do you hear that, Yamamoto? You have detention, again, for falling asleep in class for the fifth time this month, again! I also require you to stay here a few minutes after class as well, to discuss your future participation in the baseball team."

All Takeshi had to say in response was a wide yawn, flashing Ienobu a discrete ghost of a smile. Ienobu gave a similar look back.

"Now, as I was saying, we have a new transfer student from Italy." The snobbish teacher gestured to the boy standing at the front of the class. The kid had white hair, like Ryohei. The likeness ended right then and there, as this guy had an uninviting grimace on his face.

"His name is Hayato Gokudera."

He had an unbuttoned collared shirt, hands deep in his pockets. His back was a little hunched as he scowled absently toward the rest of the class. Ienobu was reminded of the various delinquents that tended to disturb the peace around Namimori, though this particular subject did not wear any colors of the known gangs the Committee kept record on.

When Gokudera walked past Tsuna's desk, he kicked it, nearly toppling the whole thing over.

Well, looked like the transfer student made an enemy today. Ienobu reminded himself to look up Gokudera's file later. The Committee should have one considering how the Italian was a foreigner. And he was _Italian_ , of all things… Reborn probably didn't send an assassin. Probably. No matter what torture he enacted upon the Sawada twins, Reborn made it clear he needed them alive.

Further musing was interrupted with the resounding clangs of the bell.

"Don't forget about the test in two weeks!" Nezu reminded his rapidly evacuating students. "Especially you, Tsunayoshi Sawada!"

Ienobu finished tying his coat around his waist. He quickly pulled Tsuna with him into the hallway, giving Gokudera no chance to catch up with them

"Otouto," Tsuna glowered, or at least his cute little version of glowering, "you should really pay more attention in class."

"Ah, but Tsuna-kun," Ienobu wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulders, "Nezu's such a stickler. Without mavericks like me, how will Namimori students ever learn to think for themselves?"

Before the older twin could remark more upon his brother's behavior, a voice said, "Sorry, Tsuna, but Ienobu does have a point." Hana, with Kyoko right on her tail, joined the brothers' pace. "I have no idea why an idiot like Nezu still works at this school, but it's always nice to see him squirm."

Ienobu let out a hearty laugh. "You see, aniki? Even Hana-chan appreciates my –"

The boy yelped and relinquished his hold on Tsuna. Ienobu had to rub the back of his attacked cranium, Hana's hand shaking slightly. Kyoko joined Tsuna's side while Hana's fist remained over Ienobu, threatening to hit him again.

"Hana-chan, why –"

"Don't think you're off the hook," Hana scowled. "I went to TakeSushi the other day. Yamamoto-san told me about your 'training,' and I don't appreciate you wrecking his restaurant."

A pout and half-lidded eyes would never persuade Hana, but Ienobu did them anyway. "That was only the fourth," Tsuna punched his arm, "fifth time I broke something at his place. Besides, Yamamoto-sama wasn't really mad."

"Sixth time," Hana corrected. "Yamamoto-san likes you too much, and he's too lenient with you. Don't you agree, Tsuna?"

Tsuna, only half-distracted with his hand-holding with Kyoko-chan, bobbed his head. The poor boy had to stop squirming with his close proximity with Kyoko. "You're always so reckless, Ienobu. Please, try to show more respect to Takeshi's dad."

The skin of Tsuna's cheek was pushed against, Ienobu pressing his hand on his brother's face. If Ienobu had moved exponentially faster, it would have been a punch able to knock Tsuna down. As it was, all it did was annoy and irritate the elder brother. "You're one to talk, aniki. I still get better grades than you." Tsuna shoved the arm away, unamused. Kyoko tightened her hold on his hand and leaned closer on her boyfriend's side.

"I'm helping tutor Tsu-kun," she grinned at Ienobu. "You should get Hana-chan to help you study more, too. Otherwise, Tsuna's going to get better grades, and then you'll really be the delinquent little brother, Ienobu."

Immaturely, Ienobu lightly pushed Tsuna against Kyoko. However, he couldn't spout something back as the four reached an intersection in the halls. Tsuna and Kyoko had to go one way, Hana and Ienobu another. They waved farewell, Ienobu continuously turning his neck to look behind him and Hana.

"What are you doing?" Hana asked.

"Keeping an eye out for that Gokudera guy. And before you ask, no, I've never met him, so it isn't my fault if that's why he was so aggressive at Tsuna."

She just huffed and shrugged, still emitting her general disapproval of Ienobu. Half a minute later, the number of students they passed by dwindling, she realized that he was still walking with her. "Don't you have your own class to go to?"

"I need to talk with Kusakabe-senpai."

Hana narrowed her eyes at her companion. "About what? You're not even supposed be involved with Disciplinary Committee issues right now. You're on vacation."

"True," Ienobu whispered lowly, "but no teacher knows that." He playfully tugged on the red band hanging by his hip. "As long as I've got this, I can still go wherever the hell I want."

He was slapped on the ear as Hana's other hand pulled out a key. She unlocked a door in the hallway, the Namimori insignia featured on it. "Stop abusing your privileges," she reprimanded.

Not many people knew that Hana Kurokawa acted as a secretary and advisor for the Disciplinary Committee, despite her affiliation with one of its most vocal members. Part of the reason was because she never wore the Committee's signature armband or obsidian coat during school hours. Unlike some people, she had no desire to flaunt her stature. Similar to others, she only wished to keep the degenerates out of the way of her fellow students.

Plus, when she found out Ienobu had joined, she could not simply allow the cretin a position of power without insurance that he would not misuse it. He still got away with a few underhanded things under the rug, but Hana ensured it never got too far.

The Disciplinary Committee offices were kept fairly clean. The desks were aligned in rows and modified beyond the simplistic middle school builds to resemble those utilized in the corporate world. Kyoya Hibari's aggressive nature can only intimidate so many. Paperwork had to be tidy and direct to appease the proper authorities.

Currently, the office was vacant, most members already on patrol. Hana and Ienobu moved through some of the other office rooms and entered the main meeting hall. A large round table lay in the room. On the other side was the entrance to Hibari and Kusakabe's personal office. Kusakabe was looking over some documents at the meeting table when the pair entered. He nodded curtly at their arrival.

"Tetsuya-san," Hana greeted back as she pulled out a folder out of her book bag. She slid across the table to him. "The police have agreed to cooperate with us. We've traded data, and we will be working together to track down the remaining gang members."

Ienobu clicked his tongue. "Those cops should have let us handle it. They don't know the gangs like we do." He was slapped again. Ienobu decided to take a few steps away from Hana.

"Thank you, Hana-san," Kusakabe said. He shifted his eyes between her and the Sawada, his eternal frown never betraying what he was thinking. "Ienobu-san, aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"I also recommend that you confiscate Ienobu's armband," Hana went on to say. Ienobu squealed as she pulled the band off of him. She tossed it to Kusakabe, letting him catch it. "As I am sure you would believe, he will use it as an excuse to skip class."

"Hana-chan," Ienobu whined, "I –" He recoiled as Kusakabe flicked a pencil to bounce off Ienobu's forehead. Despite Ienobu's wounds from last week already healed, the impact left a foul aching around his temple. Ienobu stalked off to sulk in a corner, feeling betrayed.

"The files for our potential new recruits are in Hibari's desk," Kusakabe said. "If you can look over them Hana-san, I'll be reminding Ienobu-san of the finer points of his duty to the Committee."

Hana nodded approvingly before going into the next room. As the door slammed shut, Ienobu turned around to face his superior. Kusakabe beckoned for him to sit. They sat across from each other, a few chairs between them. The older Committee member pulled out a single sheet of paper from underneath all his other work.

"Ienobu." Kusakabe-senpai's voice lowered, his eyes softening the smallest fraction. "Did no one in your family ever tell you about your relation with the Vongola?"

"Nope," was the rapid response. "Why?"

"According to what I was able to find…" Kusakabe took a deep breath. "Imagine a hundred men and women, almost half as strong as Hibari, each with two dozen or so of their own skilled followers, all of them aligned to one master. Their master is powerful in his own right, but he doesn't have to even breathe to eliminate an enemy. His subordinates have an undying loyalty to him and would destroy whoever posed as a threat. Anyone with a simple synopsis of the Vongola's history knows well enough that they are the most influential and leading crime family in the entire world, and always has been for centuries.

"It seems that your brother has been chosen to lead this criminal organization."

No, Ienobu thought, my brother isn't a criminal. He isn't some psychopath like Reborn.

"I'm sorry Ienobu," Kusakabe continued, looking at the paper, "but as much as I would like to help you, the Disciplinary Committee would have no hope of successfully protecting you and your family should violence breaks out with the Vongola."

Ienobu was not happy. He didn't quite like him and his brother being drafted into the mafia, borderline enslaved. He just about wanted to go strangle something, or someone. But he couldn't take it out on Kusakabe-senpai. As Ienobu looked away from his boss's benign expression, he ran a hand through his hair. "Not even Hibari would be willing take 'em on, then?"

"Hibari is leaving the matter alone until something of interest arises. You'd have to speak with him yourself for any assistance."

A frustrated sigh escaped Ienobu's breath. Ignoring the occasional exhilarating one-sided spar, the older prefect was someone Ienobu tried to avoid. "I guess. Thanks for looking into this for me."

"This doesn't only concern you," Kusakabe snorted. "Hibari's bound to run into this Reborn person if he's going to be tutoring Tsuna. The Committee needs to be prepared for whatever trouble he may bring."

"Like Hayato Gokudera?"

Kusakabe nodded, slipping from his sympathetic outlook to his professional one. "Yes, the new transfer student's applications were only sent to my office last night, and by then, they were already approved before Hana and I could evaluate them." Kusakabe pulled out another sheet of paper. "It turns out a Professor Borin had personally recommended Gokudera's transfer. Regardless, we'll be having the foreigner watched."

"I'd appreciate that," Ienobu nodded. "The new kid kept glaring at Tsuna during class. Got a bad feeling."

"In any case," Kusakabe went on, "I suggest you go back to class." For once, Kusakabe offered a smile, breaking character. He rarely smiles nowadays, though Ienobu nor Hana couldn't figure out why. "I actually sent a list to all school staff members of each prefect on leave from the Committee after the incident last week. You can keep your armband, but it won't be accepted as an excuse for skipping class."

Internally, Ienobu swore a storm. He gave another quick thanks before dashing out of the offices.

Coming to the hallway, he slowed his pace. Class could wait. He needed to think on how to move forward.

Tsuna was actually taking this whole mafia stuff pretty well. He complained just as much about the "physical training" as Ienobu, but he read the history books and corrected his failed tests as Reborn ordered. Ienobu tossed the material he was given in the trash only to have a pack of dogs chase him through the neighborhood. Where did Reborn even get those dogs?

The older twin was only reacting to the situation the way he knew best. Tsuna is more inclined to do what he is told, too scared to disobey an order from a figure of authority. So, while Ienobu questioned every single thing Reborn made the twins do, Tsuna mostly went along with it.

It was Ienobu that was the rebellious one. He fought Reborn on every issue, every supposed lesson. That was how Ienobu reacted to the forced teachings from a freak of nature hitman. And Ienobu wouldn't stop until he got some straight answers from somebody!

Maybe Ienobu is being too overzealous. Simply boycotting Reborn's activities wasn't helping anyone, really. Tsuna still did what Reborn said, and Tsuna was the chosen mafia boss candidate anyway, not Ienobu. If Ienobu was going to find out why their mafia heritage was kept a secret, among other things, he was going to have to play along.

Ienobu's train of thought was interrupted by a familiar noise reaching his ears. They sounded incendiary in nature, explosive. The only reason he came to the conclusion was because of the ungodly wake-up calls Reborn gave to him and Tsuna each morning.

Goddamn it, someone was trying to kill Tsuna. Already. And with explosives. Tsuna barely knew how to make a fist. And he was too passive-aggressive to really fight back against people. The last time Ienobu coaxed Tsuna into a street brawl, they both spent a week in the hospital, with both Hibari and Ryohei of all people.

Ienobu ran to the source of the noise, eventually finding himself at the back of the school. "Reborn!" Tsuna's voice could be faintly heard, around the corner. "I'll put out the fuses with my Dying Will!"

Just as Ienobu turned the corner, he felt his ankle hit a tripwire. Instantaneously, he was hung upside down, his head leveled with Reborn's. The hitman was sitting on a window sill.

"The fuck is happening, Reborn?" Ienobu swung away from the slap the baby gave. He couldn't dodge the second one, though, forcing Ienobu's gaze to focus on a near naked Tsuna a few meters away. Tsuna was defusing dozens upon dozens of red sticks of dynamite. That Gokudera kid kept was at the center of the flurry of movement, flinging the sticks at Tsuna.

"Watch your tongue," Reborn calmly told Ienobu.

Ultimately, all the sticks were put out. The flame on Tsuna's forehead dissipated, Gokudera falling to his knees. Ienobu shook his leg in attempt to break free its restraints.

"Gokudera is also known as Smokin' Bomb Hayato," Reborn said to his prisoner, "capable of concealing dynamite all over his body."

"And what the hell is he doing, trying to kill my brother?"

The new kid shouted from behind Tsuna, falling into a bow. Ienobu's ears were still adjusting from hearing all those explosions, but he did manage to catch Gokudera saying, "For putting yourself on the line to save me, I'll place my life in your hands!"

Wait, what?

Tsuna tried to reject the proposition, the poor kid blushing like a tomato, but Gokudera was adamant in his decision.

"Having the loser serve under the winner is a family rule," Reborn called to them, cutting the wire suspending Ienobu in the air. Ienobu rolled on the ground. "Tsuna, Gokudera became your subordinate because of your strength. Good job."

So if you beat an assassin in a fight, thought Ienobu, the assassin automatically changes sides? The more he learns about the true reality of the mafia world, the more it doesn't make a lot of sense.

Seeing his brother fall to the floor, Tsuna quickly went to help him up. "Otouto! What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'm the one who skips class." Ienobu skipped to his feet. "You're supposed to be the responsible one, Tsuna. The hell you doing getting into a scuffle like that?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Tsuna barked indignantly. "Reborn sent Gokudera-san to challenge me!"

Gokudera walked up from behind him. "Is your brother bothering you, Tenth?" Sticks of dynamite were already held between his fingers. His eyes were hidden under his white bangs, but his tone and frown said enough.

Reborn booted the twins to the concrete, preventing Gokudera or Ienobu from attacking. "All of you should get to class. A good Famiglia must be well-educated amongst its members."

For the moment, Ienobu obeyed. After about two and a half dozen kicks in the head, courtesy of Reborn, he learned to choose his battles with the monster.

X

 _ **After school…**_

"Go home! Stop stalking us!"

"I need to make sure the Tenth remains safe on his walk home!"

Tsuna was thankful Kyoko had not accompanied them when school ended. His brother and Gokudera-san had been going at it the moment the three reunited in the same classroom, continuing even hours later as they walked home. When Kyoko had asked about it, Tsuna had to make some flimsy excuse about Committee complications. He couldn't tell her about the mafia stuff, not yet.

"Tenth, do you want me to get rid of your pestering twin?"

"Like hell you will! We don't even know a damn thing about you!"

Tsuna didn't know how to feel about this "right hand man" business. Gokudera seemed a lot like one of the prefects, aloof but respectful enough. Well, respectful strictly to "the Tenth," that is. Tsuna didn't really want someone hopelessly cherishing the floor he walks on. He was still coming to terms with his entire Vongola Decimo status.

Reborn was never trying to assassinate Tsuna. It was a lesson, if the tutor title was anything to go on. Reborn wanted to teach Tsuna how to earn allies in the world of the mafia. He needed strength, power. The only problem was that all his friends had been telling him to grow more assertive since preschool, so Tsuna was a little jaded by the "get stronger" mantra.

He did feel a small hint of satisfaction from apparently passing his lesson, only he cared more about the surviving part, not the recruitment of a subordinate part. Gokudera-san didn't seem bad, though, despite his overenthusiastic attitude toward him.

"My life is now dedicated to protecting the Tenth's! Are you trying to interfere with my mission?"

"Coming from the guy who almost destroyed both those lives in a suicide bombing."

Ienobu would have beaten Gokudera to a near bloody pulp had Tsuna and Reborn not been there to hold him back. He would never give Gokudera a chance, so Tsuna had to. Now, if only all three of them could get along.

"Tenth, do you want me to get rid of your meaningless duplicate?"

Tsuna stopped in his tracks. Gokudera _didn't_ just say that, did he?

He turned around. Ienobu had Gokudera pinned to a wall. An arm jammed against Gokudera's to prevent him from snatching some dynamite. The line was obviously crossed for the younger twin. He had unsheathed one of his hidden swords, threatening to pierce skin at the Italian's neck.

"Don't, Ienobu," Tsuna softly implored to his brother.

"I like how you're shrugging off this whole attempted murder, aniki," Ienobu replied, his face out of sight from Tsuna, "but how do we know he isn't full of shit?"

"It was just an empty comment." And Tsuna had a feeling Gokudera wasn't going to try to brutally maim anyone anymore. It was one of Tsuna's good feelings, too. "Gokudera-san won't say things like that again, will you Gokudera?"

Almost immediately, Gokudera's glare changed to a shameful, apologetic pleading aimed at Tsuna. "Of course, Tenth! Whatever you say!"

"Let him go, Ienobu," Tsuna somberly continued. He slowly pulled him away. His brother didn't need to maim anyone either. "You promised Yamamoto-san."

At the mention of the name, Ienobu reluctantly hid his sheathe and blade back underneath his jacket. He did sucker punch the satisfactory smile off of Gokudera's face, however.

"Ienobu! Stop!"

"Yeah, yeah." Ienobu swerved past Tsuna, marching back his way home.

Coming out of nowhere, Reborn landed on Tsuna's shoulder. Now used to the sudden appearances and disappearances, Tsuna only glanced at him, almost frowning.

"It'll be your job to do damage control, Dame Tsuna," Reborn said flatly. "A house divide cannot stand, after all."

"Don't worry, Tenth!" Gokudera bowed, his forehead smashing against the concrete. "As your right-hand man, I will –"

"You're not my right-hand man," Tsuna said, no stuttering or nervousness influencing his tone at all. He couldn't allow that. He ignored Gokudera's look of astonishment, moving to follow Ienobu. "Stay away from my brother."

Gokudera stared at his boss's retreating figure, realizing his mistake too late. He was just so excited of finding an honorable boss to surrender unto that he was too blinded to see the Tenth's true family. The duplicate wasn't a false clone, nor an obstacle or a threat. He had the Tenth's respect, something Gokudera wasn't sure he himself even had now.

No, this was only a small setback. The Tenth had to have seen something valuable in Hayato Gokudera to save his life. Gokudera would need to prove himself to him again and earn his trust as his right-hand man. He'd have to watch for Ienobu, as well. If the Tenth is to trust Gokudera, Hayato will have to learn to trust the younger brother.

So, instead of watching over the Tenth as he slept tonight, Gokudera returned to his current place of residence to modify his plans. No doubt the Tenth's brother is already on the job if his behavior just now was anything to go by. Gokudera had to prove himself superior to the twin to secure his position as the Vongola Decimo's right-hand man. Nepotism was a bitch, after all.

There was nothing else for him back home. He had to make this work. He couldn't disappoint.


	5. Value

"Kyoko-chan," Tsuna entreated, "you don't have to –"

"Nonsense, Tsu-kun," she interrupted, handing him a rake with another in her opposite hand. "You shouldn't have to clean up the baseball field all by yourself."

It was the end of the school day, the midday breeze and the soft shivers of the grass replacing the uproar of middle school student chatter. P.E. had occurred as expected; Tsuna's very existence cost one team an automatic loss in the scheduled sports match, baseball being the one that took place today. Ienobu had cut class, _again_ , so he was unable to even try to intimidate their classmates into helping Tsuna.

Gokudera-san had graciously offered to rake the leaves and put away some of the forgotten equipment in Tsuna's stead. However, three NDC members, ones that Tsuna knew were on good terms with Ienobu, had arrived and dragged Gokudera off somewhere. Tsuna planned on telling his brother later to stop harassing Gokudera so much. Gokudera was really trying to be civil and well-mannered with the Sawadas, perhaps so much so that Tsuna felt a bit unnerved by the behavior. Still, at least he didn't insult otouto anymore. Gokudera-san just stared uncertainly at Ienobu now.

It wasn't like Gokudera or anyone could ever replace Tsuna's brother or anything. Tsuna just thought the Italian deserved a chance.

Kyoko was passing by the baseball field, having just completed her own classes for the day. Tsuna tried to tell her that he was fine. He really, really, not really tried, but Kyoko-chan was already sweeping some sporadically arranged leaves into a pile.

"You shouldn't let your classmates just leave you to do all the clean-up work," Kyoko lightly chided. Tsuna just shrugged off the statement.

"I don't mind." And he really didn't. It became a habit to all these chores.

"I mind," Kyoko countered. "We were supposed to go to the bakery today and choose a cake flavor for Ienobu's birthday, remember?"

Tsuna cringed, his hands and shoulders freezing on the spot. It was a tradition for Ienobu and Ryohei to get a birthday cake for Tsuna and for Tsuna and Kyoko to get one for Ienobu. It began all those years before when all four had first met. Birthdays had become not very memorable for Tsuna as the years passed, however, and he felt ashamed for forgetting.

"We still have time," Tsuna insisted, looking over to Kyoko. "There's still about a month left."

"True, but I thought it was a good excuse just to go on an outing together. We haven't really been on a date or anything ever since you asked me out, you know."

At that, Tsuna paused entirely. Yes, it was only about a week ago when Tsuna had confessed. Despite his embarrassment and being near nude at the time, Tsuna arguably felt happier than he had been for years. To be with someone he admired, someone who did not care about how no-good he was, Tsuna thought it was only a fantasy. And with Kyoko-chan, they could help each other get past what everyone else says and just be happy as they are.

But then… Tsuna forgot about how he would actually spend time with Kyoko as boyfriend and girlfriend. What did couples do again? Watch movies, eat out, visit the park together or something? Their group of friends has already done those things many times. How was Tsuna supposed to make any outings with Kyoko-chan romantic?

As Tsuna was pondering on his next move, Kyoko took the initiative and draped an arm around is back. She felt him tense, quickly relax, then tense again. Kyoko used her other hand to pull Tsuna's gaze to hers. He began to burn inside as Kyoko smiled softly with half-lidded eyes.

"Since you forgot, I think you owe me one, Tsu-kun."

They've only kissed once, on the day Tsuna's Dying Will manifested thanks to Reborn. Tsuna was still in shock and awe over the whole endeavor at the time. Now, Tsuna was quite conscious and in fair control of his body. Only a fair amount, mind you, with his heart pounding hard against his chest and Kyoko slowly pulling Tsuna's face closer to hers.

"Hey, Kyoko – oh, I didn't see you there Tsuna."

The disruption startled Tsuna to fall backwards, Kyoko following to land beside him. At least the landing was on the cool grass, not concrete, so the back of Tsuna's head was not very hurt. Kyoko groaned into the turf as Tsuna looked to their visitor.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," laughed Takeshi, scratching his cheek in slight embarrassment. A barely visible blush even graced his face.

"I-It's fine, Takeshi," Tsuna waved off, smiling timidly. Kyoko sat up, frowning once before letting herself grin.

"Were you looking for me, Takeshi?" she asked.

"Yeah, Hana's looking for you, said something about 'dragging Ryohei-baka out of another stupid mess'," Takeshi air-quoted.

The Yamamoto was still smiling, but Kyoko's face showcased her worry at his message. Her brother must have gotten into another _very_ extreme fight. "Can you help Tsuna clean up the field while I go help Hana?"

"Sure!"

"Thanks Takeshi!" As Tsuna tried to say something, Kyoko gave a quick peck on his lips. "I'll see you later, Tsu-kun." With that, she was off. Tsuna stared as she disappeared from his view.

Takeshi grabbed Kyoko's abandoned rake and pulled Tsuna up from the ground. "Come on, Tsuna! There's work to be done!"

The disarming smile was enough to distract Tsuna from the warmth of his lips. "You don't have to –"

"I insist." Takeshi slapped a reassuring hand on his friend's back. Tsuna's feet remained level, thankfully. "My old man's busy with Ienobu's training, and the baseball coach is sick, so I've got nothing else to do anyway."

Wait, the coach is sick? Takeshi usually practiced on his own if a coach or teammate was unfit for duty. But he was already adding more leaves to Tsuna's pitifully small pile near the bleachers. "Alright," Tsuna relented. "Thanks." Ienobu's laziness was rubbing off on Tsuna.

Takeshi was Kyoko-chan's male counterpart, the school's male idol and most popular student. He was the baseball star, and the subject of quite a few loving female admirers. Despite his popularity, Takeshi took it all for granted. All he wanted was to play baseball, so all the awe was usually forgotten by him.

Why couldn't Tsuna be more like Takeshi? Forgetting his popularity, Takeshi was able to shrug off most problems thrown his way. Even when his mother passed away, he was still able to smile. He didn't worry about grades or bullies. Takeshi held a steady stride, walking through life confidently and carefree.

Tsuna needed to take a page out of his book. What would Takeshi do if he was dating Kyoko-chan? What would Takeshi do if he was drafted as a mafia boss?

"Oh," the taller teen suddenly said, "I never got to congratulate you and Kyoko for finally getting together. Ienobu kept saying you'd only ask her out until after we graduated, but I knew differently."

Uncomfortably, Tsuna started chuckling. "I guess. I just… felt like I'd die if I didn't tell her soon." In more ways than one.

"To be honest Tsuna," Takeshi went on, "I'm a little jealous of you."

He's what?

"You found someone you really liked, and you went and poured your heart out to her." Tsuna turned to look at Takeshi. His sweeping had slowed, his smile still there. "I kind of wanna know how that would feel like. To be star-struck and in love, I guess. The closest I ever get is all those love letters my… fan club gives, but I hardly even know them."

Tsuna hid a shudder. He and his brother never had much pleasantries with Takeshi's adoring fans, with how the Sawadas "distract Yamamoto-san from baseball," so say those harpies.

"The problem with them," Takeshi continued, "is that all they really do is praise every single thing I do. At least Kyoko-chan and Hana offer helpful advice, pointing out how I can improve." Tsuna looked at Takeshi again. He stopped sweeping all together. His voice lowered, now only just louder than the midday breeze, but Tsuna could hear it crystal clear. "And I was also wondering if you could give me some advice, too, Tsuna."

"About what?" _You aren't supposed to talk like this_.

"Baseball," he answered. "Lately, no matter much I practice, my average is dropping and my fielding is screwing up," he elaborated, leisurely descending into a despondent tone. No smile. "My team is expecting me to do my best in the next season, but I doubt I'll be able to be much of help with my performance going down the drain. What should I do?"

No, Takeshi should _not_ be acting like his entire career was over. He relished in baseball. He was a star and an amazing player.

"Why are you asking me? You should probably ask someone else other than, uh, Dame Tsu –"

"Come one, Tsuna," Takeshi interrupted. "Help me out here. I love baseball, but I'm just not making the cut. What inspired you to confess to Kyoko and fulfill your dream?"

"I…" Tsuna gulped in a deep, deep breath. _Fulfill my dream… It's still a little blurry_. "I guess it's like what Hana told me once: 'You should get at least one thing straight in your life, seeing how your grades aren't doing too well.'"

Takeshi turned his head to look at Tsuna, but the shorter teen did not return his gaze.

"You know what your dream is, Takeshi. It's to play baseball. Ryohei wants to box. I think Ienobu is considering working at TakeSushi because he likes your dad so much, and Hana's going to become Prime Minister sooner or later."

Both of them snickered at Tsuna's last line, if only for half a second.

"My dream… I know that I want to be with Kyoko-chan, but I don't know what else I want to do." Tsuna sighed, closing his eyes. "There isn't really a sport or hobby that particularly interests me. You know how to hit and catch a baseball. Me? I don't have any notable skills to even compare to yours. I'm not worth a second glance."

"Then why'd you confess to Kyoko?"

"I… Next to Ienobu, she's always there for me. Without her, I don't know where I'd be right now." Tsuna slowly turned around. He made eye contact with Takeshi. Neither person appeared pleasant. "She's someone worth fighting for, with all of my dying will. If I didn't put all of my effort into telling her how I felt, it wouldn't be worth going through the next day, knowing I never tried hard enough. If baseball means that much to you, then don't give it any less than everything you have."

Takeshi kept staring at Tsuna. It was like he was searching for something, but all Tsuna had to offer were his words. Then Tsuna realized he was gazing unblinkingly right back at him. Tsuna shivered, his arms becoming rigid with his shoulders fixed in place, and faced his back toward Takeshi.

"Just work harder at everything, I guess," Tsuna stammered uncomfortably. "That's what Hana keeps telling us: stay focused to improve our grades. Stay focused on doing better. Just switch that mentality onto baseball, right?"

Laughter filled Tsuna's ears, a one-armed embrace pulling him to Takeshi's side. "Of course! Work harder and harder! We should listen to Hana more, right Tsuna?"

More goodhearted bellows drowned out any response Tsuna could have made. He just meekly nodded.

"Don't let people keep saying you're dame, Tsuna. That couldn't be farther from the truth."

Tsuna gave a genuine smile, devoid of all nervousness. It felt good to be helping someone that usually gave Tsuna advice instead.

X

 _ **Elsewhere…**_

Reborn let his mouth curve into a smirk. The cameras he had set up recorded the entirety of Tsuna's conversation with Takeshi Yamamoto. While Tsuyoshi Yamamoto was a man past his prime, and his loyalties purely to his own, his son could easily become a valuable asset to the Vongola. Takeshi is even a close friend to Tsuna, sweetening the deal. Yes, the baseball player was someone to keep an eye on.

"What the hel… What's got you so smug, Reborn?"

Ah, yes, and Ienobu was growing more compliant to his ever-caring home tutor's lessons. Reborn noted that as a sign of progress. Dame Tsuna was still essentially Dame Tsuna. Ienobu was starting to prove he isn't quite the Baka he was at first glance.

"Nothing that concerns you," Reborn replied as Leon morphed from the sunglasses and headset back to his natural corporeal form. And Tsuna's progress at the moment actually _was_ unnecessary information for Ienobu to know. The twins loved each other – no doubt about that – but Reborn required more observation on each brother acted without the other influencing his decisions.

Ienobu still waited for a real answer as he looked at the baby on his shoulder. The sun glared from behind his miniature top hat, causing Ienobu to squint his eyes. "Remind me why you had to come with me on a grocery run?" He rattled the plastic bag he was carrying for added effect. "Ain't like you need a babysitter."

"A teacher can't spend time to get to know his students?"

"If by getting to know, you mean a twisted interpretation of child abuse…"

The insubordinate student was promptly reprimanded with a physical strike directed to his throat. He coughed and gasped for breath but was otherwise steady on his feet.

"Your tongue still requires some work, I must say," Reborn stated plainly.

Once his breathing resumed as normal, Ienobu spat out a choking spit. "I rest my case," he uncomfortably crooned.

"I'm surprised Dame Tsuna and Nana have allowed such a vulgar mouth to go on for so long. Considering your position in the NDC, I had expected more discipline from you."

The Baka did not respond. He kept walking, his eyes vaguely shifting to the general direction of Namimori Middle. As Reborn regarded Ienobu, the hitman churned upon further tests he should provide for the brothers. The early signs of their intuition were showing. That needed to be considered.

Oh, what a shame these were Iemitsu Sawada's children. They had inherited both the Dame and Baka traits the father shamelessly flaunted every day. At the very least, both boys had some skill in terms of combat. That is, if the things Ryohei has said to Master PaoPao held some truth.

"Yamamoto-sama doesn't like me swearing," Ienobu eventually murmured, his throat still sore. "I saw you watching us the other day, so you know how he gets when I do something he doesn't like." He rattled the plastic bag again. "Getting groceries for TakeSushi is just the first tier of punishments."

Hmm, Baka Ienobu was a little too forthcoming with that information. Is he still trying to build up Tsuyoshi Yamamoto as a viable threat against the world's greatest hitman? Perhaps Reborn should pay a visit with Yamamoto in person during one of Ienobu's training sessions to dispel any more hopeless fantasies.

Nevertheless, Yamamoto was more valuable alive. He was already giving intermediate training to Baka Ienobu, allowing more time for Reborn to focus his efforts on Dame Tsuna. Plus, the man sired Takeshi Yamamoto. The Guardian candidate would be more willing to join the family if his father remained alive.

As Reborn continued to muse upon further plans and as Ienobu continued to spout about Tsuyoshi being capable of far worse than what Reborn could do – yes, Reborn must schedule a meeting with the swordsman very soon – the hitman hopped off the boy's shoulder and somersaulted onto the top of a garbage container. A kendo stick had protruded from an alleyway. Ienobu's side was hit, but he took hold of the weapon and pulled, bring its owner against the Sawada's knee.

Reborn observed from afar as more assailants, six in all including the one currently on the floor clutching his nose deluged out of the alley. They were about Ienobu's age, waving around random wooden weapons. Ienobu in turn dropped the grocery bag and used the kendo stick to block and parry the initial barrage of attacks. As he backed up, he hurled his weapon into the crowd, the stick rebounding off of one of his attackers. Ienobu reached under his coat and pulled out his swords.

From the neutral theatre masks and formal striped vests the attackers wore, they identified themselves as members of the gang the NDC had been experiencing difficulties with recently. Reborn's investigation assured him that this "Trad 6" group was just another misfit group of delinquents, the type of small fry who possibly knew some things about mafia but nothing too great of significance. A Namimori Disciplinary Committee-esque group lacking the same type of leadership that has made the NDC as effective as it is. As it stands, however, this Trad 6 gang was a convenient source of sparring partners for Ienobu.

Ienobu moved fast, dodging constantly and stepping in to make a cut on his attackers. He knew he was outnumbered, so he couldn't afford to let himself get cornered. Every block he made coincided with each parry. Let the enemy become its own worst threat as the delinquents kept accidently hitting each other. Ienobu didn't come out unscathed, obviously. He received his own bruises and a hit right across the side of his face. However, he returned in kind by thrusting a sword through the offender's shoulder.

Ienobu was going to win this fight, but for all Reborn knew, it could simply be the Vongola blood resonating well with Ienobu at an early age. The boy's violence was fueled by arrogance, and that arrogance would be a liability without the finesse to needed to back up that confidence. Reborn acted the way he was because he knows he is that good. Ienobu only thinks the Baka that he is could be that good.

As the last of the aggressors fell from the savage beating Ienobu gave with the hilts of his weapons, Ienobu gave a brooding look at his home tutor. "Did you send these a-holes out to get me, Reborn?"

"Nonsense, child." Reborn walked away, leaving Ienobu amid the mess of bodies and out of sight of the police officer making his way toward them. That girl who had been watching Reborn these past few days had called the authorities when she spotted the street brawl.

Reborn was satisfied by what he saw today. Both of his students were making progress. All he needed to do was just keep the pressure up and they would become adequate mafia members worthy of the Vongola name.

X

 _ **The Next Day…**_

It was a free period, study hall. Tsuna's classmates were taking advantage of their absent teacher and simply conversed with each other. Kyoko-chan was supposed to be tutoring him, as Reborn had explicitly told him to get better grades or those _lovely_ _hounds_ would enjoy a new playmate, and it wouldn't be Tsuna.

Alas, Kyoko-chan was with her brother and Kusakabe-senpai, discussing the details of the fight Ryohei had found himself in yesterday. So, Tsuna had to contend with a different tutor.

"See, Tenth! This is how the equation works!

Otouto was also supposed to be here, but Reborn had other plans for him, apparently. Ienobu was… not accepting, but rather more tolerant of Reborn's lessons. Maybe he was finally going to be shot with the Dying Will Bullet?

"If you can't quite visualize it," Gokudera-san continued, "you can always draw the graph itself and trace the shapes!"

"… Let me get a ruler."

"Allow me, Tenth! I will get you one right away!"

While Gokudera-san went off to find one, Tsuna stared absentmindedly at his worksheet.

Tsuna really did need to get a hobby.

Then, someone burst in through the door. It was one of the baseball players, Tsuna recognized. He stumbled into class and shouted, "Yamamoto is about to jump off the roof!"

Takeshi?

"He stayed after school yesterday and practiced like hell on his own," the student continued as everyone in the classroom stared with stupefied eyes. "He went too far and broke his arm!" The class stood in a speechless silence. The baseball player insisted on all of them going to the rooftop, and they all did.

Gokudera-san's footsteps neared Tsuna. He asked for a response from his boss. Tsuna was too numb to say a thing. He got off his chair and sprinted around his classmates in the halls to the top of the building. He paid no attention to their complaints or protests, jumping up the stairs and even shoving an unsuspecting prefect blocking a doorway into the crowd.

There was already a crowd on the rooftop, calling out to Takeshi. His right arm was in a cast. He stood on the other side of the safety fence at the very edge, his back facing his peers. His black hair fluttered in the wind as if weightless. Takeshi leaned slightly back, looking as stress-free as he always did. Tsuna failed to voice any words straightaway, all of Takeshi's peers and admirers already begging their idol to get away from the ledge.

"Hey, Yamamoto-san! This isn't funny!"

"Yeah, you're taking this whole thing way too far!"

Takeshi maintained his posture. He didn't look away from the sky, ignoring everything and everybody around him.

This had to be Tsuna's fault. He said something wrong yesterday. He tried to act all wise and cool, and now Takeshi is contemplating suicide.

The Yamamoto chuckled suddenly, startling everyone present. "Sorry, guys," Takeshi tried to say soothingly, only succeeding in chilling most of the congregation with his tranquil demeanor, "but after the baseball god threw me away, I'm just not good enough to play anymore. It's not worth it for me to keep trying."

"You're wrong," Tsuna muttered, quietly. Somebody seemed to have heard him, however, as Tsuna was pushed and shoved to the front of the crowd. He found himself in the empty gap between the students and the edge of the roof where Takeshi threatened to jump. When Tsuna glanced accusingly at the crowd, they shook their heads encouragingly with unsure smiles. When Tsuna looked to Takeshi, they stared at each other in the eyes.

"Tsuna," Takeshi called, snapping his friend out of his own short-term paralysis, "I'm sure you can understand why I'm doing this." The background noise of the crowd ceased. "To keep on failing over and over again, wouldn't you prefer to just be done with the whole thing?"

"No!" Tsuna shrieked. It was the first thought to cross his mind. "I mean, uh, I just –"

"It's alright, Tsuna," Takeshi tried to calm him with his smile. "I know how fidgety you get. You know, you don't have to watch this."

Tsuna froze.

"This… this whole thing is just something that I have to do. I just wanted a quiet moment before I did it. No one has to see –"

"What if I wasn't the only one here to see this?" Tsuna interrupted. He hesitated for a moment, looking to his feet. When the chatter behind him began again, Tsuna stood straighter and said, "What if Ienobu was here? And Kyoko? Hana? Would you tell them to turn away?"

Takeshi's smile faltered. "They don't… they wouldn't…"

"They'd grab you by your neck and pull you away from the edge. They would berate you for being an idiot, for trying to throw away your life like this." Tsuna took a bold step forward. And another.

"But –"

 _But they aren't here. I am._ I _have to be the pragmatic one this time._ "Did the doctor say that your arm will never heal?" Tsuna questioned. "That you can never, _ever_ play baseball again?"

No response. Takeshi kept his eyes trained on Tsuna as he lowered his head.

"What did the doctor say?"

"… My arm will heal," he muttered, "but what use is it if I'm no good at baseball?"

"Like you said, I don't have to be here." Tsuna took another step forward. "I don't have to watch you do this. I don't have to be your friend. I don't have to try harder to stop you. I don't have to be so no good, but I also don't have to try harder to be better, just like you. I don't have to be the only one here willing to come out and really try to help you."

The audience of students felt an uncomfortable chill run through them as Tsuna spoke. Even Ienobu never spoke in such a low tone. The twins' voice could be fearful, nervous, excited, and intimidating, but never so cold.

"I don't have to do any of those things… just like… how you don't have to care about leaving all of us behind."

 _You make that jump, you're wasting something special, Takeshi. We're friends, and we can help you become better. That's what we_ have _to do. We make sure we pick each other back up. We have to pick up the pieces and stick them back together._

 _"A good Mafia Boss doesn't let good potential go to waste," Reborn said. "And he doesn't let his allies and subordinates follow through with stupidity."_

But Tsuna couldn't force himself to say anything more. His throat was dry, and he was another step away from breaking down into tears.

"I care," Takeshi spoke up, startling everyone. Tsuna remained as still as a statue. "I care, Tsuna. I just… didn't know how to show it."

As Takeshi climbed his way over the fence and back onto the safer side of the roof, the crowd of students let out a collective breath of relief. Takeshi wasn't smiling, but he was alive… and Dame Tsuna was the one how saved him.

"Takashi!"

A single man, taller than everyone on the rooftop, barreled through the mob and came right at Takeshi. The boy was engulfed into a hug, lifted off his feet and staring nervously at his embracer.

"Dad," Tsuna heard his friend murmur, "I'm sorry."

Yamamoto's response was drowned out by the sudden exclamation behind the crowd of students. "Everyone, get back to class!" it said. An influx of NDC members were suddenly amid the students and were forcibly herding them back inside the school building. Tsuna and the Yamamotos were completely untouched. As the crowd dispersed, Hana revealed herself as she approached the three.

"Do you require an escort, Yamamoto-san?" Hana asked, imposing and her fists hitting her hips.

"No, Hana," the man said. He relinquished the hug but kept a hand on Takeshi, who had his misty eyes looking away from anyone. "I would like to speak to my son in private."

"Of course." Hana made a hand motion. Tsuna's legs were frozen, but he turned his head to see a few prefects move to guard the roof entrance.

"And you, Tsunayoshi," Yamamoto gave him the family smile, "thank you for being there for Takeshi."

That was too much. Tsuna was going to break down into tears right this instant. He couldn't take any more of this. Yamamoto was smiling but Takeshi was so sad and –

Before Tsuna could have any sort of breakdown, he was dragged out of his stupor by the arm. Hana pulled him back inside the building. She set him at the base of the staircase, Tsuna of course tripping over his own two feet when they got there.

"What happened?" she asked harshly, her voice reverberating across the vacant hallway.

As Tsuna pulled himself to his feet, he let out the gasp of air he had sucked in when Yamamoto-san made his presence known on the roof. "I – what – you –"

"Why did Takeshi decided today was the day out of all the days he's lived that he was going to die?"

"I –"

"Deep breath, Tsuna."

"But –"

" _Breathe_."

And Tsuna did. He let his breathing resume a normal pace and slunk against the wall. Hana let him recompose himself.

"Can you speak coherently?" she said sharply.

Tsuna nodded slowly, closing his eyes as the sweat trailed down his face. "Yes, yes."

"Tell me what happened."

Tsuna opened his eyes and brought his head to gaze at Hana. Her scowl hid much, but her eyes gave away her legitimate concern for what just transpired on the roof.

"Tell me what –"

"Takeshi almost died," Tsuna finally said, his voice hoarse, "because he gave up. He thought his arm injury was the end of it, but he didn't jump. He's still alive. We have to make sure it stays that way."

Hana was startled by Tsuna's determination as he spoke, but she blinked away her surprised expression.

 _I might have to become mafia boss_ , Tsuna told himself, _but I will_ never _forget what really matters._


	6. Assassino

Maybe it was Reborn practically stalking Tsuna and seeming to know every single thing he has ever done and ever will do, but at this very moment, Tsuna felt as if he was being watched.

It was like an itching feeling, the kind spawned by rashes or bug bites. Prodding the itch only makes it worse. Ignoring it evokes nothing other than a hindering perturbation. Of course, Tsuna rarely wants to bother others with such a meaningless gripe of his. He generally lets the itch fester against his instincts, letting it grow and swell until Tsuna can find a place to lie down and close his eyes.

Closing his eyes is a trick he learned that helped disassociate himself from pain. Pain isn't the same as uneasiness, however. A bruise can be shut out. He's used to those. An itching restlessness makes Tsuna want to get up and get moving. He has to do _something_ , or else he feels like he is going to start pulling hairs and hyperventilate.

And Hana caught on fast to Tsuna's dilemma, asking him, "Are you okay, Tsuna?"

Tsuna sat at the edge of a couch, back hunched and eyes staring absently forward. Kyoko was beside him, in the middle of the sofa, and Takeshi with his arm cast sat at the opposite end. The Namimori idols were enjoying some classic Yamamoto sushi. Across the three was a wide screen TV, currently displaying a battle between two over-the-top fighting game characters.

"No, no, no!" Ienobu sat on the floor in front of the couch, alongside his fellow player. "How do you keep grabbing me?"

"I play EXTREMELY well at this game! I have had EXTREME practice!"

"I'll show you extre–stop grabbing me!"

Hana rested herself on a comfy chair beside the couch, directly next to Tsuna. She was going through some papers from a binder – NDC business no doubt – while occasionally glancing up to watch the game. Now, her attention was focused solely on Tsuna.

"It's nothing," Tsuna whispered, realizing a second after how Hana would be able to tell in a heartbeat that he was lying. "I'm kinda tired. Falling asleep. I just need to get some air."

Suspicious eyes seemed to wane as Tsuna moved to leave. When he reached the door, he looked back to his friends. Hana resumed her work as the rest of the gang remained engrossed in the match between Ienobu and Ryohei.

Takeshi was smiling. It was a real smile, shared by almost everyone present. He wasn't hiding anything behind his smile now. He was being honest, and that was all Tsuna needed as assurance that Takeshi would stay genuine and in a clear state of mind.

TakeSushi was closed for the day, so Tsuna was greeted by an empty restaurant when he entered the ground floor. The sound of knives clanging together and hitting a cutting board echoed from the kitchen. Takeshi's dad was probably cooking up some more sushi for later. This weekend is meant to spend time with Takeshi, after all, and if they are going to keep him happy, everyone needed to be well-fed.

That itching sensation persisted like an annoying fly, unfortunately. Feeling claustrophobic, Tsuna exited the shop and began a short tread around the neighborhood. He wasn't planning on straying far from the restaurant, and maybe some fresh air would do him so good. A clear sky like the one overhead did wonders to uplift Tsuna's spirits whenever he's feeling down.

Though the sun did start to grow a tad overbearing.

And that was when a woman with goggles and a helmet came barreling at him on her bike.

Tsuna almost jumped twenty feet into the air in shock. That bike had nearly run straight through him. He leaned forward, hands planted on his knees as he panted for air. Looking down the road, the mysterious biker was driving back toward him, thankfully at a normal speed.

She stopped in her tracks once she was right next to Tsuna. She removed her helmet to reveal long strands of light pink hair and a pair of green eyes. Those eyes looked oddly apathetic toward Tsuna, despite her smile. It was an unnerving look, reminding him too much of… well… Reborn.

The woman tossed him a soda can from out of nowhere. "Please," she said, "have it if you like."

Tsuna caught the can, straining to smile politely all throughout their little interaction.

Then he hurled the can as far away from him as he could, a panicked expression overtaking his face. Some of the soda had started leaking, and the strange purple liquid started bubbling and corroding the entire can. The foul stench that could practically kill a bird faster than a sprout of air pollution only made Tsuna even more panic-stricken.

Wait, it _can_ kill birds! One just flew over the can, picked at the soda, and immediately dropped the floor! What was in that thing? Was – Was she another assassin, like Gokudera-san?

Not taking any chances, Tsuna _ran_.

The strange lady drove after him, but despite Tsuna's scrawny demeanor, he could be fast when he wanted to. He had to get away from bullies when he was younger somehow, and he had to be quick enough to escape the occasional rapid animals of today. Reborn's physical training sessions also did wonders.

However, Tsuna's stamina still runs out too quickly. He found a hiding place from the mommy biker behind a bush. She rode pass him, but Tsuna remained in hiding, trying to quiet his breathing.

As a bead of sweat went down Tsuna's temple, he heard a rustle of leaves. The bush shook as Tsuna caught a shadow moving on his left. Carefully, Tsuna turned his head. Gokudera-san was there, crouched next to Tsuna behind the bush, flashing a smile and a wink and a thumbs-up with his cigarette exuding smoke.

"Tenth! As promised, I remained a reasonable distance away from TakeSushi and patrolled the perimeter. But when I saw that you had left the premises without your most esteemed twin, I knew had to follow you in order to secure your safety in your brother's stead!"

When Gokudera-san had approached Tsuna as the twins were on their way to Takeshi's place, Ienobu outright banned him from entering the restaurant. Tsuna played peace maker and convinced Gokudera to keep his distance, mostly to avoid any awkward interactions between anyone.

Tsuna gulped in a pile of saliva that was building in the back of his throat. "Can you, uh, not smoke here? There's a bush and –"

"Of course!" The cigarette was crushed under Gokudera-san's shoe. "I've also got some watermelon." He pulled up the green globe from behind him, sitting inside a small net. "I realize Tsuyoshi Yamamoto is a chef of amazing talent, but watermelons are supposed to be really sweet! Perhaps you or your most esteemed twin would enjoy some?"

Watermelon? That was… random. "Uh, thanks? I guess? But, I'm in the middle of something right now, so…" Gokudera-san set down the fruit, his eyes hardening.

"Some kinda trouble? If you want, I will take care of it for you."

God, Gokudera really was a hitman, wasn't he? "I don't want to trouble –" Wait, he wouldn't be bothered by helping his "Tenth" however he can. "I mean, you d-don't have to –"

"Tenth," Gokudera began in a voice so much like Ryohei's when he was about to go into one of his extreme rants or lectures, "if I am to be your right-hand man, I must be able to recognize when you are in a state of distress. You obviously are now, but I must still be able to alleviate you of that distress. Please, allow me to prove my worth to you, Tenth!"

There were stars in Gokudera's eyes. Not literal ones, but the kind of stars that anyone who is overwhelmed with passion and positive emotion, like an obsessive fan finally meeting his or her idol. It was… odd, for Tsuna to be the idol in this case.

"O-O-Okay, then, you can help out... somehow." Ienobu, bloodlust aside, would be safe with Yamamoto-san, Ryohei, and Hana nearby. Tsuna wasn't much of a fighter without the Dying Will Bullet, so having Gokudera-san back him up was probably the smart choice.

Gokudera-san would probably have squealed in delight like one of Takeshi's fangirls if a scream resounding throughout the neighborhood didn't interrupt him.

"What the fu –" A bark or a squawk from a bird echoed after. Tsuna looked above to see a flock of them moving through the sky.

 _Was that…_

"That was your most esteemed twin, Tenth!" Gokudera said with his own deafening shriek. "His scream sounds just like yours! The resemblance to your screams I heard when I watched you be trained by Reborn is impeccable!"

Tsuna rose to his feet, patted off any dirt that got on his pants, and sprinted towards the direction of the howl.

X

 _ **Elsewhere…**_

Reborn wasn't one to dabble himself in day-time dramas or soap operas, or any television programs in general. Why should he? Reality up close and personal was so, so much more entertaining.

The world's greatest hitman had his two miniature feet planted atop Baka Ienobu's head. His student was a little dazed and confused, his stance a bit wobbly. Bianchi was off her bike, leaning back with a disappointed frown. Her initial attempts to eliminate Dame Tsuna had failed, as did her plan to poison Baka Ienobu with another poisonous soda can. The shock and fear that was oozing out of Ienobu was something Reborn had been waiting to feel out for some time.

While Reborn had planned for the twins to do whatever they pleased to cheer up the Yamamoto boy for today, he could not help but track his students' trails when they left TakeSushi. Tsuna wanted to go for a walk. Ienobu apparently lost a video game match with Sasagawa and thus was obligated to go out and purchase another pack of soda for the group. What luck that they had ran into Bianchi!

"Baka Ienobu," Reborn spoke once his student's feet were steady, "you should watch your language. This is a woman that deserves respectful."

Ienobu opened his mouth to continue spouting exclamations with expletives only for Reborn to stomp down. Ienobu bit his tongue and staggered on his feet, silenced.

"Ciaossu, Bianchi."

"Oh, Reborn," the woman moaned out the baby's name, "I'm here to bring you back to Italy. Let's do another job together, Reborn. A peaceful place like this town doesn't suit you. A world where it's more dangerous and thrilling fits you so much better."

Under Reborn's feet, Ienobu seemed to stiffen. Perhaps Bianchi's whimsical smile reminded him of that one girl who retains an odd fascination for Dame Tsuna, the same one that keeps watching Reborn as he walks the twins to school.

"I told you, Bianchi," Reborn said. "I have a job to raise Baka Ienobu here and his twin, Tsuna. I can't join you."

While Bianchi seemed to sulk for a moment, Ienobu churned his jaw around and judged that he could still speak without trouble. "Hey, Reborn, who exactly is this woman?"

"Bianchi is a freelance hitman better known as Poison Scorpion," Reborn answered mildly. "She was my fourth lover."

Bianchi was about to speak up, to share her despair upon Reborn's cruel confinement to the Vongola, until Ienobu made a forceful choking noise, taking a step or two back.

"You've got to be kidding," he retched out. "First backwards-working assassins, and now pedophiliac hitmen? What the heck is wrong with the mafia?"

Reborn hopped off of Ienobu's head. In the split second he was in the air, Bianchi was already on the hunt with poisonous pies in her hands. Ienobu was running backwards with his swords drawn and trying to keep the enraged cook away from him. Reborn had expected such a reaction between the two, and needless to say, he was quite amused by the results.

"Get the fuck away from me!"

"How dare you insinuate something like that!"

Pure music to Reborn's ears.

Leon was standing on all fours on the brim of Reborn's hat. He wiggled his body, prompting Reborn to turn to his right. His dame student and Hayato were jogging down the street toward the little fracas. Hayato had the determination of a right-hand man, as was expected, while Dame Tsuna was another couple of meters away from gasping for air. Stamina training would have to be augmented to compensate for this weakness.

Tsuna called out in that whiny, useless voice of his. He was about to fall forward until Hayato caught his fall. Both of them appeared fairly drained of energy at the moment.

Reborn watched as his student worried over his would-be right-hand man. "Gokudera-san!" Tsuna shrieked as the Italian covered his gut and fell to his knees. "What's wrong?"

"Don't worry, Tenth," Hayato gritted out through clenched teeth. "That woman… is…my sister. I cannot… help, but beware of… her poison… cooking…. You, Tenth… must go save your brother."

With that, Hayato plopped face-first onto the floor. Tsuna screeched lowly, biting his lip. He looked to and fro between his unconscious subordinate and his twin brother. Reborn considered saying something to further panic Tsuna, perhaps in a teasing tone rather than a lecturing or deadpan one. Thankfully, his student quickly made his choice and dove between Ienobu and Bianchi.

"Wait!" Tsuna cried, standing in front of Ienobu and his palms raised conciliatorily to the assassin. "P-Please don't kill my brother!"

A rather pathetic strategy on Tsuna's part, Reborn mused, though it was perfectly in-character. To the boy's credit, Bianchi did stop and pause her attacks. Ienobu lowered his weapons but held them tightly, ready to move in if Bianchi reignited the fight. However, Bianchi spotted her brother down the road. She forwent her pies and made her way to him.

The twins appeared to be safe, but Ienobu veered around his brother, bringing his sword up to thrust through Bianchi's midsection. He moved fast enough for the one end of Reborn's mouth to curve. It was an impressive move for Ienobu's age, swift enough to take full advantage of Bianchi's momentary distraction. If Bianchi's muscle memory didn't trigger in time to avoid the attack, Ienobu may just narrowly win their little squabble.

Then Tsuna cut in between them, pushing Ienobu's arm so he swung too wide to hit Bianchi. While she went to Gokudera unabated, Baka Ienobu shot his brother a frustrated look. Tsuna gave him an apprehensive one.

"What are you doing?" Tsuna asked.

"She's another goddamn assassin, Tsuna! What do you think I'm doing? Hell, why is Gokudera here?"

Reborn watched the brothers argue. Well, he watched Ienobu yell on and on until his voice would eventually break and watched Tsuna speak firmly with some semblance of composure. It was like looking at Iemitsu argue with Nono, if Iemitsu was an angry man and if Nono lacked any intimidation under his charisma.

The hitman turned to her past lover. She was still trying to give unwanted comfort to Hayato. "Bianchi," Reborn called to her, "please give me a moment with my students. We may discuss doing another job together later."

Bianchi gave Reborn a knowing smile, giving a wink and blowing a kiss. She stroked a hand on Hayato's back before departing.

"Seriously!" Ienobu was still screaming his head off. "Why are you so tolerant of assassins trying to kill us?"

"Gokudera-kun's not that bad," Tsuna responded.

In an instant, said Gokudera-kun was kneeling at his boss's feet, in perfect position to kiss them. "Tenth! I am so honored to be –"

"Why are you here, again? You ain't a right-hand man to anyone, last I recall." Ienobu was about to go on another tirade, but Tsuna cut him short.

"You said that woman was your sister, Gokudera-kun?"

Hayato nodded furiously, so much like the loyal dog he wanted to be. "Yes, Tenth. Bianchi and I are half-siblings. You see, at our castle, we used to have a lot of luxurious parties, but when I was six years old…."

"Wait!" Startled, Hayato staggered back as Ienobu pulled their faces closer to each other. "You know that hitwoman?"

"Uh, yes!" Hayato stifled a cough. Reborn wondered if he still held any animosity for the younger twin. "I know her, most esteemed twin."

"And you're a mobster, too, right? A mafia hitman with skills and experience?" Ienobu pulled Hayato up and slapped his hands on the Italian's shoulders. "If you make sure there aren't any more assassination attempts on me and my brother, I will gladly, _gladly_ give you the rank of right-hand man for Tsunayoshi."

Hayato's eyes sparkled. Before Tsuna had his say in the matter, Hayato was running after where his sister had left, declaring, "I will not disappoint you, most esteemed twin, or you, Tenth!"

 _Sly move, Baka Ienobu_ , _but a competently clever one_.

"Otouto, you shouldn't mislead Gokudera like that."

"Aniki, aniki, please. By this point, I don't care if we have to get the NDC involved and getting us bodyguards. I don't want to deal with zany and weird-ass hitmen coming at us every other week."

"The N-ND-D-DC?" Tsuna lost his air of coolness. "But we agreed that we wouldn't tell Hana-san about the mafia stuff. Or Kyoko-chan or Takeshi."

"True, but if I have to keep sleeping in bed wondering when the next assassination attempt will be –"

Reborn stepped in between the brothers. "How can either of you know for sure if these recent 'assassination attempts' aren't merely training scenarios that I have constructed?" He could feel Ienobu glaring at him, wanting to cut the baby down so badly.

"That's right!" Tsuna exclaimed. "We're being trained!"

Oh, a lightbulb went off. "Go on," Reborn insisted.

"We're being trained to take over the Vongola as M-Mafia B-B-Bosses!" Reborn kicked Tsuna's shin to shake off the stutter. "If we're the only candidates available, why would the Vongola let their heirs be exposed to enemy hitmen? And the hitmen that were sent weren't really killing us, right? Gokudera wants to be our friend, and –"

"And that Bianchi bitch tried to –"

Reborn kicked Ienobu somewhere in the pelvic girdle. The Sawada let himself fall, his cheek dragging on the ground with his bottom facing the sky. Reborn motioned for a Tsuna to pick up his hanging jaw and continue speaking.

"Bianchi's Gokudera-kun's sister. She can't be too bad, right?" Tsuna eyed Reborn with a longing for confirmation. In return, Reborn nodded with mild approval.

"Keen observations you've made," Reborn praised. Tsuna smiled with his teeth shining. Ienobu groaned to express his pained woes. "However, both of your performances today are still very lacking." Tsuna's countenance fell, realizing too late what Reborn's answer meant. A second later, Tsuna was lying on his side, hugging his left leg close to his chest. "Your resolve is proving to be above average, the both of you, but each of you lack the necessary finesse I require from my students."

He turned to Tsuna first. "Dame Tsuna, I like your fast thinking and fast reflexes, but your moments of weakness were too obvious. Hesitations and stuttering are key opportunities for someone to get the upper hand on you, and that can prove costly. Bianchi had an ample chance to attack you from behind when you were busy arguing with Ienobu."

Then he vaulted up to Ienobu's behind. "Baka Ienobu, you have the sufficient combat prowess even low-level mafia members are obligated to know. However, much like many low-level members, you are incompetent at maintaining a good amount of self-control. Imagine if Tsuna was not as swift and dexterous as he was when he misdirected your strike against Bianchi. He might have gotten hurt instead."

The Sawadas fell silent, refusing to make eye contact with Reborn. Unperturbed, Reborn retreated away from the twins and started walking back to the Sawada household. He needed to make the proper arrangements with Nana to allow Bianchi to stay with them for the foreseeable future.

"Enjoy the rest of your day with your friends," Reborn called back. "Training starts early tomorrow morning, whenever I decide to wake you up."

As Reborn strolled away, Tsuna absentmindedly scratched the back of his knee.


	7. The Ranking Prince Appears!

As he sat against a bench, watching the clouds moving along the blue sky, Ienobu mused on how he missed the good old days. He missed the days when life in the Sawada household was easy and simple compared to the chaos it has since become.

The Sawada household never had much complicated décor or design. Two bedrooms and one guest bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchen, a living room, and a backyard was all there was to the place. It wasn't too big or too small. There was enough room if each member of the family wanted to keep to themselves. The walls were thick enough so private conversations couldn't be heard, but thin enough so people can be heard throughout the house if they shouted.

The homestead was rarely packed or crowded. Day-to-day routines and sanitation ensured the halls were kept clear and no junk blocked the residents' paths. The local matriarch and her children each had only a small group of friends. Relatives, if any, never visited. So, celebrations at the house generally gave enough leg room to stem any inklings of claustrophobia.

Ienobu and Tsuna slept in opposite twin beds for as long as they can remember. Over the years, they've built a basic system for when who gets proprietary over the room, how much noise they can make when one of them is studying or sleeping, who has control of the family computer, and so on. Even unconsciously, they wordlessly follow that system. A light slap on the shoulder from Ienobu meant that he wanted to lazy about the couch and watch his favorite shows. A simple offer of hard candy from Tsuna indicated that he wanted an undisturbed nice, soothing nap. No fuss and no complications.

When Reborn moved in, that system was naturally tossed out the window. For one thing, he set up a hammock in the corner of the bedroom where Tsuna kept his secret stash of sweets. It was a journey in itself to recover that stash, but with all of Reborn's "training," it was a miracle that Tsuna or Ienobu even found time to themselves anymore.

At 5 a.m. before sunrise, it was either the dogs or the dynamite or whatever traps or trials Reborn set up for the boys. It was literally an obstacle course of death. Then came school, which was the same tasteless, boring chore it always was. Only the incentive to get better grades was amped up by gazillion with what Reborn demanded. When they finally got home, it was ace the homework and the practice tests and study material Reborn provided, or learn what it's like to have every single bone in the human body be dislocated and relocated. At least, that's what Reborn had threatened the twins with.

Granted, the twins' tolerance of these advanced tutoring lessons was steadily growing. Steadily. _Very_ steadily. As steadily as sedimentary rock sets and hardens. Just don't get the twins started on their thoughts on their mother's apparent obliviousness to all the damage and pandemonium done to the house ever since Reborn had arrived.

Despite Ienobu's promise to repress his rebelliousness, his patience was wearing thin. Tsuna had informally and unofficially accepted that Gokudera hack as his right-hand man. Hayato was annoying, like a cute puppy that follows you around, except without the cuteness. And his sister, Bianchi – she's apparently staying in the Sawada household from now on.

It wasn't enough for Reborn to shake things up. No, when Bianchi had to move in so she could be "closer" to Reborn, it was like Ienobu was living in a warzone, forced to constantly take shelter and avoid firefights breaking out in the streets. Every time Ienobu would walk through the house, he could see her at the corner of his eyes. She unblinkingly _stared_ , and it was somehow even worse than when a certain star-struck fangirl of Tsuna's laid siege to the Sawada house last year.

So, when Ienobu came home from school to be greeted by a little boy in some sort of cow outfit and a little girl in a martial artist getup being chased by Hayato through the house with the smell of Bianchi's poison cooking permeating from the kitchen, and Tsuna at the front door offering nothing but a nervous smile, Ienobu was at his breaking point.

"Otouto, where are you going?" Tsuna called out helplessly as his brother dropped his backpack in the living room and was on his way out the door.

"Out," Ienobu shouted back without turning around. "I'll be back when our house stops taking in every damn stray that gives a pretty smile and finally becomes livable again."

And so Ienobu found himself in the park, spending the rest of his day looking at the clouds rather than training to beat Ryohei for the next fighting game tournament, merely because Ienobu desperately needed some breathing room for himself.

Ienobu could hear that one Chihuahua that Tsuna's deathly scared of barking nearby. He didn't know what his brother's problem was. The dog was wasn't one of Reborn's hounds. It was harmless.

Letting his head drop back onto the top rail of the bench, Ienobu looked behind him to catch a glimpse of the dog. Though everything in Ienobu's vision was upside down, he still had to tilt his head at the odd scene in the distance.

In a small expanse of grass, the Chihuahua was barking as expected. However, it seemed to be floating in midair about a foot away from the ground. A kid no less than nine or ten was levitating next to the dog. His eyes were all foggy, the tips of his light brown air suspended and wavering along with the scarf around his neck.

"Tsuna-nii's sprinting ability is ranked 86,100 out of 86,202 people," Ienobu could hear the kid mutter. "Running ability is ranked 85,900 out of 86,202 people. Stamina is ranked 86,182 out of 86,202 people."

The kid gently landed, his hair falling over his forehead. The dog stopped floating and ran away while the kid revealed a… gigantic book, almost half his size out of nowhere.

It was another Italian Mafioso weirdo, Ienobu decided. The smart thing to do would probably be to walk away and avoid whatever trials Reborn has planned for the twins and this newcomer.

Yet, as Ienobu watched the boy open up his book and scribble lines on the massive pages, he had a sudden realization. There was… something to be gained from here, something Reborn had been giving to Tsuna since the beginning of the tutorship and had neglected for Ienobu.

"Punching strength, kicking strength, and running ability are all nearly last place," the distracted boy muttered as Ienobu approached. "I wish Tsuna-nii would try harder."

"He's trying harder now," Ienobu spoke, startling the kid. He jumped, closed his book, and hugged it close. "Tsuna's gotten a little stronger. He can run for a good bit so long as he remembers to time his breathing right." Ienobu smirked lightly as he glanced wistfully to the side. "Aniki still can't swim, though. We're still working on that."

"A-Aniki?" the kid stuttered, so much like Ienobu's own brother. "I thought you were Tsuna-nii…"

"I'm Tsuna's otouto. The name's Ienobu."

The kid's eyes lit up. A wide grin spread across his face. "Oh, you're Ienobu-nii! I finally get to meet Ienobu-nii!" He stood up, dusting the turf off his jeans before giving Ienobu an excited yet nervous look. "I… I've been calling you Ienobu-nii and your aniki Tsuna-nii! Can I keep calling you that?"

Ienobu-nii, huh? There was a ring to it that sounded quite gratifying.

"I am Fuuta de la Stella," Fuuta bowed respectfully, "but you can call me Fuuta."

Stella? Didn't that mean "star" or something? It probably had something to do with that weird floating ability. "So, Fuuta, how do you know about me and Tsuna?"

Fuuta's cheeks lit up with embarrassment. "Uh, I've been meaning to ask you and Tsuna-nii if you would… well..." Fuuta clasped his hands together as he fell to his knees. "Please help me, Ienobu-nii! I need your assistance!"

Ienobu gave a generous smile, ruffling Fuuta's hair the same way he's seen Yamamoto-sama ruffle Takeshi's when they were younger. "What is that you need Ienobu-nii to help you with?"

Fuuta seemed to brighten up further at Ienobu's show of affection. "The mafia is after me. They're trying to take my book." He appropriately held the behemoth up. "It's very valuable, and I need to keep it safe."

"The mafia are after you?" Ienobu lost his smile. How could this kid say something like that so simply and upbeat? "What's so important with that book?"

"It lists all of the rankings I've made about the mafia." Fuuta, still with that tenacious shine of his, opened the book. "For example, the Todd Family is ranked seventh for bloodlust of all the mafia families. Paolo Todd is very powerful and 55th among 86,000 people in terms of attack strength, and –"

"Is that what you were doing with that floating thing earlier?"

An enthusiastic nod was Ienobu's answer. "I've been watching you and Tsuna-nii to rank you appropriately. Tsuna-nii is placed last in both overall combat ability and intelligence out of 872 mafia bosses, and Ienobu-nii is ranked 107 out of 83,646 delinquents of the most unreasonably violent."

The rankings didn't sound too far off, Ienobu had to admit. "With scores like that, why do you think Tsuna-nii and me can help you?"

"Well," Fuuta said matter-of-factly, "Tsuna-nii's lack of ambition is also placed first among all bosses, so I won't have to worry about him taking my book and abusing it. You're ranked number three in 80,262 mafia members who care deeply about their brother, so you should be able to help Tsuna-nii with his low combat rankings."

The smile on Fuuta's face was soon reflected back by Ienobu. The kid seemed pretty smart for his age. Most kids in the mafia probably had to get smart real fast to survive long, especially if they were alone and on the run like Fuuta appeared to be.

The twinkle in Fuuta's eyes faded abruptly, peering at something behind Ienobu. When Ienobu turned his head, he spotted three masked individuals walking down a dirt path near the border of the park.

"That's them," Fuuta, nearly panicking, pointed toward them. He slid his book to his back. "Trad 6. Even though they're a group that started only recently, they're ranked 86th of most ambitious mafia families in the world, and my Papa always says that ambitious people are too dangerous for their own good."

So the NDC's most recent pest problem was also related to the mafia? Ienobu would have frowned, contemplating ways to inquire Reborn of this new development, but Ienobu was too excited at the opportunity Fuuta presented. Ienobu lowered himself to his knees.

"Hop on," Ienobu told Fuuta, gesturing for him to climb onto Ienobu's back. He obliged, and Ienobu moved towards the stretch of trees not far away.

It was the last day of school for the week. Students, along with NDC patrols, would probably be wandering the neighborhood by this hour. With Fuuta in tow, Ienobu decided to slip out of the park and head toward the market. There might be a decently sized crowd for Ienobu and Fuuta to use as cover until they find a patrol and get Fuuta out of sight and in a more secure location.

As Ienobu jogged through the streets, he could hear Fuuta whisper excitedly, "This is great! Ienobu-nii is going to save me from the mobsters! And a person with Vongola blood has a high ranking in the chances of accidentally going on an amazing adventure!" Fuuta went on to mention various other rankings that he's made about the mafia. Ienobu ignored him for the most part. There would be time to interrogate him later. Right now, Ienobu had to focus on getting the kid to safety.

"BASTARD IENOBU!"

Ienobu nearly tripped from the shock of the scream, but he regained his balance quickly. As Fuuta muttered his own woes on his ears, Ienobu turned around to meet the angry, stomping girl coming their way. She was in the Midori Middle School uniform with a book bag slung over her shoulder. The furious look in her eyes was hardly a surprise for the Sawada twin, sadly.

"Bastard Ienobu," Haru repeated, growling. "What are you doing with such an innocent-looking child! Are you going to teach him your delinquent ways and corrupt his lovely pureness with your rotten heart, just like you try to do with Tsuna-kun?!"

This was partly why Ienobu held a dislike for Hayato; he can come across as a male version of Haru Miura. "I'm not –"

"Someone as cold and dastardly doesn't deserve to have the same face and fluffy hair as Tsuna-kun," Haru continued to rant. The red in her face from her rage lightened, likely from being reminded of her infatuation with Ienobu's brother. "Oh, why did Kyoko have to win Tsuna-kun's heart before Haru! I shouldn't be surprised. They go to the same school, but Haru didn't want to come across as too clingy! If only I…"

Fuuta, slowly recovering from his deafened ears, moaned to Ienobu, "Who is that?" Ienobu hushed him, turned his back to Haru, and attempted to walk away from the girl with no interruption.

"… but Haru still cherishes her friendship with Kyoko-chan." Oh. Haru was trailing after them now, still ranting. Great. "I should stop avoiding her. With Tsuna-kun's birthday coming soon, Haru needs to go to the bakery to get his cake. If I run into Kyoko-chan, then I will have to be honest. Haru is a good and honest person, just like Kyoko-chan. It's not like she didn't really 'steal' Tsuna-kun's heart to begin with anyway. It has to be Haru's fault, or maybe…"

Finally, they entered the Namimori marketplace. Stands were lined down the streets alongside open shop doors. Customers were wandering throughout. The indiscernible noise of random conversations filled the air. Ienobu recognized some classmates passing by, but he could see no Disciplinary Committee members in sight.

"… which is why Haru has decided Haru will make sure Tsuna-kun's and Kyoko-kun's relationship lasts long and blossoms! Their love will never waver so long as Haru watches over them!"

Still walking forward, Ienobu whipped his head around. He let out a snort at Haru's blush prancing across her cheeks and her enthusiastic fist punching the air. "You couldn't convince Tsuna to go out with you. I bet you'll just end up breaking Tsuna and Kyoko apart with your shenanigans."

Haru hardened her face and readied a punch that looked a lot like something Hana would do, but Ienobu had Fuuta on his back, so Haru wouldn't risk hurting the kid.

Speaking of Fuuta, he was pulling on the ends of Ienobu's collar. "Ienobu-nii," he said, pointing toward a stand near the end of the street. People were ambling away from the stand and the three individuals harassing the vendor. Ienobu could see the bats in their hands and the straps around their heads where their masks were kept secure.

The smart thing to do would probably be to turn around and discreetly walk in another direction, but instead, Ienobu tossed a surprised Fuuta into a disgruntled Haru's arms. Hands free, Ienobu came behind one of the Trad 6 gangsters and struck his leg out, caving the gangster's knee in. As he fell, Ienobu grabbed his bat and swung hard, knocking some teeth out of another thug. The last hoodlum lifted his bat and tried to bring it down over Ienobu's head. Ienobu sidestepped the swing and delivered his own, sending the robber sprawled on the floor.

The shopkeeper gave his weary thanks, but Ienobu was focused on scanning the staring crowd for any more Trad 6 members or any NDC patrols taking notice of the scuffle.

"Ienobu!" Haru stomped toward him with Fuuta now residing on her back. "What are you doing? Are you _still_ getting into fights?"

"I'm with the Disciplinary Committee! I'm allowed to get into fights!" Granted, Ienobu's armband wasn't quite yet a valid excuse for beating up just anyone, but Haru shouldn't know that. "This isn't even any of your business anyway."

"Haru lives in this neighborhood! Of course it's Haru's business!" Before Ienobu could say something back, Haru turned his back to him and stomped away. "Someone like you should be locked far away from innocent children like this one! Stay away from him!"

Struck dumbfounded for a half second, Ienobu jogged after her. "Hey, wait a second! I'm supposed to be the one watching out for the Fuuta, not you!" They soon left the market area and entered empty streets devoid of shoppers. "He – He's under the protection of the NDC!"

"I don't believe you!"

Fuuta, unsure and a tad confused, looked back at Ienobu and then to Haru. "Uh, Haru-nee, Ienobu-nii is telling the truth. The Namimori Disciplinary Committee is –"

"Haru is sure Ienobu is not telling the truth," Haru fiercely reaffirmed as she stepped onto the familiar bridge hanging over a section of the Namimori River. "Haru will take Fuuta to Hana-chan or Kusakabe-san and have them take care of you. A true, _true_ delinquent like Ienobu shouldn't be taking care of you, especially since he's the one who puts Tsuna at risk every day! He –"

Haru shrieked as she was shoved over the railing of the bridge. She plummeted toward the river. Ienobu pulled Fuuta and his book from her grasp before he was dragged down with her. The boys watched as she flailed in the water, screeching, "Bastard Ienobu, wait until I tell Tsuna-kun about this!"

"If you love Tsuna so much," Ienobu, cupping his hands around his mouth, yelled back, "why don't you teach him how to swim? Maybe then he'll get a little wet for you!"

Ienobu felt a weak kick hit his lower leg. Fuuta had his head held low, pouting. "You shouldn't say things like that, Ienobu-nii."

"Why? Do you… Do you know what I mean by –"

"My Papa used to say things like that. I hear it a lot from mafia members and gangsters, and I know that they're not very nice things to say."

Ienobu wanted to burst out in laughter. Fuuta was starting to look a lot like Tsuna when the Sawada twins were younger and Ienobu said something Tsuna disapproved of. Instead, Ienobu ruffled Fuuta's hair again. "Alright. If it bothers you so much, Ienobu-nii will watch what he says while he takes care of you."

Fuuta's pout shifted to brief astonishment before his bright smile returned. Ienobu assumed Fuuta had a rough time running away from the mafia all the time, so making nice with the kid would probably win some more points for Ienobu, even if it meant reining in his language.

"Ahem."

At the indiscreet cough, the two boys spun around and faced a scowling Hana, dressed in the Namimori uniform with an NDC armband equipped. She had her arms folded across her chest. "What are you up to, Ienobu?" Unlike Haru's show of distaste, which was loud and obnoxious, Hana's was direct and frank.

Ienobu raised his arms in mocking surrender, indignantly announcing, "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"You just pushed Haru into the river. She nearly drowned last time."

"She knows how to swim now!"

"You know she only learned recently."

"Oh, like hell _I'm_ going to save her instead of her 'precious Tsuna-kun.'" Ienobu raised the pitch of his voice as he finished his sentence, dropping his arms and digging his hands into his pockets. "Besides, I don't see you jumping in to save her."

"No, but that's because you seem to have gotten a homeless boy under your care." She nodded toward Fuuta, the boy in his scruffy, ragged clothes shrinking slightly under her gaze. "As annoying as Haru might be, she's right to be worried. You aren't the most ideal role model for children."

Before Ienobu could counter Hana's statement, Fuuta spoke first. "It's true. Ienobu-nii is ranked 27th in most likely delinquents to be sentenced to life in prison before he turns eighteen, and my Papa always told me to never trust delinquents."

Ienobu raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Fuuta. "Then why did you ask for my help?" Fuuta shied away again, embarrassed.

"I had a good feeling about Tsuna-nii and you, Ienobu-nii, and my Papa always told me to trust my good feelings when I really believe in them."

"Ienobu-nii," Hana muttered suspiciously, testing the sound against her tongue. Ignoring the oddly big book lying on the floor for the moment, she looked directly at Fuuta when he straightened his back and reflected her gaze with his own. "What's your name?"

"My name is Fuuta de la Stella." He bowed, showing the same shine he had given Ienobu when they first exchanged words. "Ienobu-nii seems to like you more than Haru-san, so you must know about the Vongo– " Fuuta's mouth was covered by Ienobu's hand, the older boy flashing a nervous grin at Hana.

"The kid's just, uh, y'know, got himself lost," Ienobu forced an excuse. "As a member of the NDC, and what with the gang fights breaking out, I thought I'd bring him home and give him a warm meal. He looks like he's been through a lot, so –"

"Ienobu," Hana said firmly, uncrossing her arms and standing tall, "you might not be as bad as Tsuna when he's lying, but you're still not very good at it. Now, tell me the truth or I'll –"

An indiscriminant shout caught all three minors' attention. Another collection of Trad 6 members were charging toward them from both ends of the bridge. Ienobu gave a curse before pulling out his swords. "Can we, uh, talk later, Hana… please? Pretty please?"

Hana scoffed, turning toward the gang members coming to her side of the bridge. While Ienobu readied his swords, Hana reached into a jacket pocket and pulled out a compact, cylindrical grip for a baton. Unlike the tonfas Hibari uses, Hana's weapon of choice extended from the grip to form the entire baton. The concealability was also an added bonus, hence why Hana preferred to use the baton to begin with.

She immediately swung across, blindsiding the first thug to get too close. Hana kicked his back, and he fell over and into the river. The next goon tried to hit her with his long bokken, missing as she ducked under it. Hana struck at his leg, stunning him, before swinging at another approaching hoodlum's abdomen.

One of them tried to bash her head in, only succeeding in hitting his companion. Hana slammed her weapon against one of the thug's neck, causing him to drop his crowbar and drop to his knees. The bokken wielder couldn't compose himself before Hana kneed his stomach. She shoved the both of them forward so they rolled down along the bridge.

Hana whipped her head around, watching Ienobu repeatedly punch a downed Trad 6 gangster with a few others, cradling their bruised bodies, surrounding them. Fuuta was also watching, almost with what Hana hoped wasn't a morbid fascination.

"He's done and down, Ienobu," Hana called to her coworker. Finally, Ienobu pulled back, still grinning like a madman as she looked back at her. "Honestly, if you weren't friends with Kyoko or Tsuna…"

"Hey, they attacked us! I think I deserve a little restitution for the trouble they're giving us!"

"The Namimori Disciplinary Committee doesn't work for 'restitution.' It works to keep the peace, but the reason the police distrust us so much is because you and Hibari keep brutalizing every single two-bit hoodlum you run across."

"Oh, don't get me started on the police! Those guys always –"

Fuuta suddenly gasped loudly, sprinting behind Ienobu and hiding behind his legs. He leaned around to point a shaky finger toward the other side of the bridge. "Ienobu-nii, Hana-nee, he's the leader, the Trad 6 boss."

One last gangster, dressed with a smiling theatre mask and a green pinstripe vest, was strolling toward the three. His black hair was slicked back, lined with hair gel similar to what many NDC members tend to use. He held his head high with his hands held behind his back. Stepping over his fallen comrades, he stopped short about six feet away from Ienobu and Hana, the two NDC officers getting into defensive stances.

"You're supposed to be the ringleader?" Hana asked. She eyed the newcomer from head to toe. The shade of green in his slacks seemed different from what the other members in his gang wore. Perhaps it was merely an aesthetic preference.

The masked man gave a slow nod, but aside from that he ignored Hana in favor of staring at the anxious Fuuta.

"Be careful," Fuuta said. Ienobu could feel him shaking. "Antonio is ranked as 50th of the most cruel mob bosses in the world."

Antonio nodded slowly, speaking in a young, confident tone. "That's right. I take good pride in my work, as you should know, Fuuta."

Ienobu narrowed his eyes, giving Antonio a dirty look. "How do you know Fuuta?"

"He's under my protection," the Trad 6 leader announced, treading the line between professional and snappish. "He's the sole reason my crew and I are in this city."

Hana perked up at this. "Why are you after him? Why have your 'crew' extort the local shops and attack police and NDC patrols when all you wanted was the kid?"

Antonio tilted his head at Hana. "We needed information. The Disciplinary Committee was our best lead, and it looks like our plan worked out. The NDC's most senior members found our target for us."

Without pause, Antonio stepped forward. As he began to say something else, Hana moved, aiming her baton for his side. Antonio jumped, higher than what could be done by the average person, and over Hana. He spread his arms, revealing a thin, long blade in his hand. The grip had large pommel at the end of it with a fancy, curvy guard around it. Ienobu, who had been learning more about swords and bladed weapons in general from Yamamoto-sama's lectures and his own Internet research, recognized the design of a rapier.

With Antonio's landing, he deflected a few of Hana's attacks. He pushed her back, arching his sword over to face Ienobu. Ienobu, swords pointed straight at Antoni, tried rushing him, only to be forced back a step with all the slashes and cuts the rapier made against his dao. A pattern began, where Antonio kept switching between confronting Ienobu and Hana, forcing one back to attack the other.

"We don't need to fight," Antonio said between attacks. "Just give up the Ranking Prince and Trad 6 will disappear from Namimori. All we want is him."

"So he's a prince?" Hana said under her breath curiously as she swung her weapon upward, Antonio's sword bouncing off it. Hana brought her baton around. Metal collided against his thigh. While blocking another one of Ienobu's thrusts, Antonio tried to punch Hana with his free hand. She swerved around it, capturing his arm between hers. Antonio moved to slice her shoulder, but Ienobu knocked the rapier out of his fingers and grabbed Antonio's other arm. Together, Hana and Ienobu nearly pulled Antonio's limbs out of their sockets, flipping him over so his masked face hit the concrete.

Keeping Antonio pinned to the floor with Ienobu's help, Hana taunted, "Are you ready to turn yourself in?"

"That's right asshole," Ienobu sneered. "We've got you now."

Antonio's response was to stretch his legs and spin them around, almost inhumanly twisting them so his heels smashed into Hana and Ienobu's chins. As they fell back, Antonio placed his palms on the ground and flipped over Ienobu, heading right for Fuuta.

"Ranking Prince," he greeted the terrified, shivering boy. Antonio put forth a hand, inches away from grabbing from the paralyzed Italian.

Then a blur appeared in front of Fuuta. It was a giant, muscly man in black. He had his fist lodged firmly inside Antonio's gut. The gang leader could be heard choking on air. In a split-second, he was sent flying off the bridge. He flailed across the skyline before plunging into the river.

Ienobu, rubbing his chin, lifted his head to look at Kusakabe taking a deep breath and relaxing his fighting pose. "Thanks for the help," Ienobu groaned, "Kusakabe-senpai."

"Of course," Kusakabe nodded. He briefly glanced a Fuuta before making eye contact with the team of NDC members he had brought with him. Kusakabe made the designated hand motions to get them to round up the groveling Trad 6 gangsters still on the floor. Then he faced a now standing Ienobu and Hana, the pair sporting few visible injuries aside from the bruises at the bottom of their faces. "Who was that? He seemed different from the others in the gang."

"He's their leader, apparently," Hana answered, fixing her infamous glare back on Ienobu. When all he gave in return was a pair of defiant lazy eyes, Hana walked pass him and Kusakabe and loomed over Fuuta. "So, Trad 6 wants you, the 'Ranking Prince.' Fuuta, right? Why do they want you?"

Ienobu tried to step between them. "Hey! I can explain everything –"

"Yes," Fuuta interrupted, smiling and giving a bow before Hana, "as I said, my name is Fuuta de la stella. Trad 6 originally brought me here from Italy."

"Italy?" Kusakabe whispered in suspicion. "Why would such a pitiful gang come all the way from Italy to Japan?" He glanced at Ienobu, who only gave an unhelpful shrug.

"They're an international gang," Fuuta explained. "Most of the people you've fought here are local recruits. They have been trying to expand their business enterprise. I was supposed to be sold to a buyer in Namimori, but I managed to escape."

While Kusakabe and Hana visibly paled, Ienobu's face scrunched up in thought. Fuuta's story sounded believable. So long as he didn't mention the Vongola or much else about the mafia, things should be able to go on smoothly.

"Then I ran into Ienobu-nii." Reaching into his pocket, Fuuta pulled out the familiar NDC armband. Ienobu checked his own person to double check that the armband was his own. Fuuta must have pickpocketed it off him earlier. "I found this on Ienobu-nii, so I thought he could help me. I know things about Trad 6, so if I helped the NDC get rid of them, Ienobu-nii and his friends would help me."

Ienobu's grin widened tenfold. He was liking Fuuta more and more and more with every passing minute.

"That can be arranged," Kusakabe agreed, but Hana gave him an odd look. She pulled him a few feet away from Fuuta and spoke in a hushed tone.

"We made a deal with the police. Shouldn't we be bringing him to them?"

"We said we would turn in gang members, not prisoners."

"We didn't even know Trad 6 had prisoners." She looked to Fuuta warily before looking back to Kusakabe. "Even we don't have the resources to send him all the way back to Italy safe and sound."

Kusakabe grimaced. "You'd be surprised by what Hibari and his family connections can do."

Ienobu stepped in. "Hey, I promised to take care of Fuuta. I say we help him out ourselves. I'll take full responsibility." Kusakabe frowned at Ienobu.

"With what's going on in your personal life, Ienobu, I don't think it's a good idea for him to be your responsibility. Besides, someone more… child-friendly should be the one to both take care of Fuuta and get any useful information out of him." When Ienobu opened his mouth, Kusakabe held up a hand to stop him from speaking. "Don't argue, Ienobu. Be smart about this."

With a dejected sigh, Ienobu turned away. He couldn't win an argument with Kusakabe-senpai when he was this serious. Kusakabe probably didn't want Reborn or any other mafia business getting mixed up with Fuuta or getting too involved with NDC matters just yet.

Honestly, all Ienobu wanted was a little, devoted follower trailing after him every day, just like Tsuna has. Tsuna had Hayato, and maybe even those two weird kids Ienobu met earlier today. Ienobu wanted a junior mafioso on his side for himself, and a smart, endearing one like Fuuta. Was that too much to ask for?

"I can take care of him," Hana spoke up. There was a small quiver in her lips, but she composed herself in an instant. "My parents are out of town still. They won't be back until… maybe until next year. That should be plenty of time for us to get Fuuta comfortable and get rid of Trad 6."

Hana made eye contact with Ienobu, daring him to say otherwise. Ienobu didn't say anything back to her. He had his own problems with his own parents, and Hana had hers.

Instead, Ienobu hopped over to Fuuta, who was back to protectively holding his book close. Ienobu draped his arms around him, returning his gentle smile. "Well, Fuuta, it looks like Hana-nee is going to be looking after you instead of me or Tsuna."

Fuuta's face showed his downtrodden reaction. "What? But I've only ranked you and Tsuna-nii! I don't know any of Hana-nee's rankings."

"Hey, don't worry about that. I know Hana. She'll do a good job in protecting you, and I'll still be helping. Besides, as long as you help the NDC with the Trad 6 problem and keep the Vongola and mafia stuff on the down-low, then we'll all be fine. Hell, if things go right, I'll be paying you and Hana visits. You'll even get to introduce yourself to Tsuna."

Ienobu pushed Fuuta closer Hana. Hana held her chin high as she contemplated Fuuta. Fuuta only smiled on, optimistic to the end, with Ienobu forcing a matching grin.

"Otouto!"

Fuuta, Hana, Kusakabe, and Ienobu turned to see Tsuna jogging toward them. He was gasping for air, but once he was close enough, he had enough breath to say, "Ienobu, Haru said you got into trouble again."

Ienobu's smile grew smirky as he motioned to Fuuta. "Tsuna! Meet my new little brother!"

"Wh-What?!"

"Tsuna-nii!" Fuuta bowed and blushed once more.

Yes, Ienobu told himself, Fuuta seemed a lot like a younger yet more energetic Tsuna when the Swada twins were the Italian' boy's age. No matter what Reborn or Kusakabe-senpai or anyone else says, Ienobu was going to be keeping a close eye on Fuuta. As a potential heir to the Vongola name, Ienobu was going to need his own motley crew of followers, too.


End file.
